


Poisoned Apple

by RomanceWriter



Category: NCIS
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe, F/M, M/M, Romance, Teen Pregnancy, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-21 15:42:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 87,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14918171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RomanceWriter/pseuds/RomanceWriter
Summary: While investigating a case in New Orleans, the entire team succumbs to an unknown poisonous agent that turns back the clock on all of their ages; some more than others.





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

Gibbs shot upright from his desk chair, grabbing his phone out of the cradle on the first ring – They had been pouring over cold-cases for the past four days, and _ANYTHING_ to get their minds off the dullness of it was better than sitting at the office; “Yeah, Gibbs?” he said into the phone as he leaned back again, closing his eyes as he listened to dispatch on the other end.

 

Gibbs stood up, grabbing his coat, his gun, badge and whatever else he needed from his desk – Kate and Tony were looking at their boss expectantly, waiting for the ‘grab your gear’ order “DiNozzo, arrange a flight to New Orleans.  Kate, sign out a car… Gonna need it.  I’ll be down with Ducky – Five seats, DiNozzo!” Gibbs called as he headed to the back elevator.

 

Tony pumped his fist into the air victoriously before he started speed-typing into his keyboard, Kate is standing, collecting her things “Hopefully not a military flight… I cannot stand them.” Kate murmured as she slipped her coat on and then walked to the center of the bullpen, she smiled down at Tony who returned the smile and nodded his head in understanding, and then she turned to the back elevator and Tony ducked his head back to his computer.

 

By the time the five members of NCIS that were traveling to New Orleans were all on the plane, Kate and Tony sitting next to each other, Ducky and Gibbs a few seats ahead of them, and Timothy McGee – Very new, and Very annoying probationary agent – sitting wayyyyyyy in the front of the plane away from them.  Tony was curious but excited as he bounced in his seat like a five-year-old getting ready to go to Disney World, he looked over at Kate and grinned widely.  Kate shook her head and reached down, gently squeezing Tony’s thigh “Relax… You’re going to send the plane into a turbulent spin if you keep bouncing like this.” Kate whispered as she let her thumb lightly massage into the soft fabric of Tony’s expensive suit pants.

 

Tony grunted as he finally relaxed in his seat and stretched his legs out as far as they would go in the cramped space “Sort of liking military transport right about now…” Tony grumbled, and then sighed when Kate moved her hand from his thigh down to his aching knee – it was always like this on planes, his knee would spasm and tighten, there was never enough room for him to stretch.  “Wanna join the mile-high club with me, Kate?” Tony whispered as he turned his head and looked at his girlfriend, his secret-we-can-never-tell-Gibbs-girlfriend, even though everyone else around them practically knew that from the moment they left Air Force One almost two years ago they had started seeing each other, Gibbs was still out of the loop, but everyone who knew all thought that Gibbs also knew because he _was_ Gibbs, and Gibbs knew _everything._

 

Kate sighed and shook her head as she continued working the spasming muscle of Tony’s knee and thigh “No, Tony, I do not.  I want to sit on this plane, in this very seat, continue rubbing your knee, and then get off the plane and go to work.” Kate stated matter-of-factly, but she did smile as she looked up at Tony.

 

A few seats ahead of them, Gibbs shook his head as he watched his two junior agents as they practically put their heads together and continued whisper; they couldn’t see him watching, but he saw their every movement through the reflective siding on the overhead compartments “Duck… Why haven’t they told me, or even hinted at the fact that they were seeing each other?” Gibbs asked as he looked at his old-time friend with a sort of sadness on his face.

 

Ducky set his book in his lap, thumb holding his place in his reading “Jethro, must you honestly ask that question?  With the way you drill your ‘Co-workers dating’ rule into their skulls on a near-daily basis, it’s easy to see why they would not divulge such information to you.” Ducky stated, clucking his teeth and shaking his head in obvious disappointment of his young friend’s obliviousness toward two people who so clearly love one another.

 

Gibbs snorted as he crossed his arms over his chest, puffing his bottom lip out like a petulant child whose favorite toy had just been taken away from him “I would have accepted their relationship – they’re happy together… Tony has become more tolerable and Kate… she’s just… she’s more…” Jethro shrugged and waved his hand aimlessly in the direction of the mirror he was watching them through.

 

Ducky chuckled quietly as he reopened his book and resumed reading “Then if you feel as if they have every right to be a couple… Perhaps you should speak your tongue and stop griping about it like a child.  Honestly, Jethro… Words are your friend in some cases.” Ducky chastised as he continued reading through his medical journal “Besides, you have no qualms about young Timothy and Abigail dating… Perhaps they misjudge you at the wrong times… Needless to say, you need to make things right before you lose one, or both of them because they can no longer take your scrutiny.” Ducky clucked his tongue again and turned back to his book completely, tuning Gibbs and his further ranting out.

 

Gibbs huffed an annoyed breath “Gonna hit the head.” Gibbs stated as he unbuckled his seat and stood up, frowning when he saw his two agents immediately pull themselves apart from whatever private conversation they were having and pulled two books out.  Gibbs walked down the aisle, stopped at their seats and smiled innocuously at the both of them, Kate was reading – of all things – a magazine about cars and Tony was likewise reading something he should have never had his hands on – a female magazine that Gibbs couldn’t quite read from his upside-down angle, they clearly had hastily just grabbed whatever was in the seat pocket before them “Only got thirty more minutes before we land… You two got the information we need?” Gibbs asked as he leaned over slightly, his mind clicking into place – Kate’s magazine that Tony was reading was a Home & Garden magazine.

 

Tony nodded without taking his eyes off the magazine and lifted a pale-yellow manila folder from between their two seats “All right here boss.  We went over it, read what we needed to know about our two dead petty officers.” Tony said, his tone dull and bored sounding – as it so often did when giving a report.

 

Gibbs nodded as he plucked the folder from Tony’s fingers and then proceeded to the bathroom before returning to his seat next to Ducky and watching his two agents as they resumed their close-quarters position of silently whispered conversation and foreheads pressed together in such an intimate yet innocent way “I wonder what they’re actually talking about…” Gibbs mused to himself as he looked down at the file and began reading over the information.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony and Kate both grimaced as they stood over the two dead bodies – they were not that of the adults they expected, but of two teenaged boys “How did two teenage boys end up in the NAVY?” Kate asked as she kicked her foot back and rested one hand on her hip.

 

“They didn’t.” Gibbs said gruffly from behind her as he bent down to Ducky and looked at the older man “Time of death, Duck?” Gibbs asked as he began looking over the two teenagers, both dressed in their naval uniforms, both well under the age of sign-up, but both coming back with the fingerprints that belonged to Petty Officer James Wilkinson and Petty Officer Michael Peters.

 

Ducky pulled the liver probe and shook his head “Approximately seventeen hours ago.  Making that from midday to one in the afternoon.” Ducky said as he set his hand on Gibbs’ shoulder and slowly hoisted himself up to his full height.

 

Gibbs nodded as he stood up and looked at the two teenagers before looking at his two agents who were looking back at him – Tim was off doing something, and Gibbs really didn’t care what at this point “I want you two to go out, canvas Bourbon street and every other street with their current service record photographs and find _anyone_ who came into contact with them – I have people I need to speak with myself.” Gibbs said as he side-stepped the two dead teenagers, shouted for McGee to get the fuck in their rental car and shooed away the on-loan medical assistant to go and assist Ducky.

 

Tony sighed as he looked over at Kate “Feel up to a little bit of non-alcoholic barhopping, Kate?” Tony asked cheekily, using the same hushed tone with her as he had on the plane when wanting to join the mile-high club.

 

Kate laughed as she grabbed Tony’s arm lightly and smiled at Ducky “We’ll see you at the hotel later, Ducky!” Kate called as she pulled Tony away from their crime scene – not that it was much of one, it was in the middle of an alley, and as far as alleyway murders went, this was the cleanest they’d ever been too – no real trace evidence, no blood pools, whatever evidence there was, would be inside those two dead boys and that was all Ducky and Abby’s thing, they did internal evidence.

 

Tony wrapped his arm around Kate’s waist by the time they got to Bourbon street, “We need to either find or steal one of the Bourbon street signs and give it to Gibbs as a gift.” Tony stated as he looked up at the ornate French street sign and grinned brightly when he turned his head to look down at Kate.

 

Kate shook her head as she took the hand that was resting on her waist and linked her fingers with Tony’s, resting their joined hands to swing between their bodies “I have no intentions of stealing a sign to give it to Gibbs… You’re just trying to butter him up for the main-blow when he finally lets us know he knows about our relationship and has known for as long as we’ve been together.” Kate stated as she pulled Tony down the mildly congested street and entered the first shop that had a working OPEN sign plastered on the window in neon.

 

As the hours dragged on and the questioning of their two dead petty officers had led them nowhere, Tony steered Kate down an alley and onto a new street – this one was more geared toward supernatural entities, witches who practiced black magic and voodoo “Have to get something for Abby while we’re here or she’ll absolutely kill us.” Tony explained when Kate looked at him questioningly.

 

Kate just nodded as she clung to Tony as he perused the options on the street vendor stations – it was weird seeing so many people selling so many things on the side of the street, Kate was more into fancy stores where things were in glass display boxes – that was what made her and Tony so deliciously compatible, they liked the same luxuries in life but never lived beyond their means until it came to clothes, then, and only then, were all bets off “Oh, she would really like this.” Kate murmured as she lifted a beautifully handcrafted black leather and aluminum twine dreamcatcher up, the feathers were black and white, “Actually, I _really_ like this too…” Kate mused as she picked up its smaller twin “The bigger one for Abby, I want the small one.” Kate said as she handed them both to Tony with a puppy-dog look on her face, her bottom lip pouted out adorably.

 

Tony sighed as he pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and handed the vendor the twenty bucks for the two dream catchers, he then turned to Kate and grasped her chin between his forefinger and thumb, tugging her closer and capturing her lips with his in a soft kiss “You’re lucky that I love you so much, Caitlyn.” Tony said quietly as he pulled back and released his girlfriend before he sauntered down the street, leaving Kate just a little breathless.

 

Kate quickly caught up with Tony and jabbed him in the side lightly, but before she could chide him for being an ass, an elderly woman waved them over with a sweet smile “You two look like you could use something to eat!” she said in a grandmotherly tone as she produced a small basket of apples and held it out to the couple.

 

Tony wrapped his hand around the handle of the basket, while also grabbing his wallet “How much for them?” Tony asked as he thumbed his wallet open and glanced up at the elderly lady as he waited.

 

The elderly woman shook her head and smiled affectionately at the young couple “They’re free, actually.  I have an overabundance of apples and I have been trying to rid myself of them for months…” The elderly woman explained, completely convincing in her words.

 

Tony shrugged and nodded as he slid the small basket up to his wrist, there were plenty of apples to go around for the entire team “Thanks, really appreciate it…” Tony stated as he withdrew the pictures of their two petty officers from his pocket “Have you by chance seen these two young men around?” Tony asked, thumbing his jacket aside briefly to show the lady his badge attached to his hip.

 

The elderly woman shook her head “Sorry, no… They don’t look familiar, handsome young thangs though…” the woman said as she stood up slowly from her chair, and smiled as a young man came to her side and kissed her cheek “My grandson Roy, he’s promised me a lovely lunch.  You two enjoy them apples now and I hope you find what you’re lookin’ for…” she said as her and her grandson took off in the opposite direction of Kate and Tony.

 

Kate shook her head as she plucked an apple from the basket and began eating it.  Tony looked at her and shook his head “What?  I haven’t eaten since we left DC… I’m starving.” Kate complained as he continued munching on the apple.

 

Tony shrugged as he grabbed his own apple and began chewing it thoughtfully “Gibbs isn’t going to be happy that we haven’t really gotten any new information from him – We have a couple ‘Maybe seen him’ and a whole lotta ‘Sorry no haven’t seen him’ all day… and all we got to show for it is a basket of apples and two dream catchers.” Tony griped as he bit into his apple and linking his free arm around Kate’s waist.

 

Kate nodded as she laid her head on Tony’s shoulder and sighed “But, hey… at least we were together and had fun while we were out here…” Kate said as she lifted the few Mardi Gras beads she had dangling from her neck – apparently, girls with guns were just as hot as girls without shirts in New Orleans.

 

Tony smirked as he looked down at the beads resting on the curve of Kate’s breasts “Yeah, yeah we did do that…” Tony agreed as he finished off his apple and tossed the nearly empty core into the nearest trash bin before wrapping his arm around Kate’s waist again, his fingers teasing at her bare hip where her shirt rides up from her weapon holster as they continued walking their way back to the hotel.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony dropped the basket of apples on the desk in Gibbs’ hotel room where everyone else was gathered “Brought apples back… a little old lady was giving ‘em out for free… Didn’t turn up anything on our search, however… No one has seen or even knew the two petty officers.” Tony reported as he shucked his jacket, folded it in half and laid it on the back of the chair.

 

Gibbs snagged an apple from the basket, as did Ducky, and Tim, and they all sat down on the various pieces of furniture in the room “So, we basically have nothing?” Gibbs asked as he took three solid bites out of the apple before tossing it in the trash and wrinkling his nose up.

 

Tony and Kate both nodded their heads “Unfortunately, yeah boss… There is no rhyme or reason for their deaths, no one seemed to know who they were and even their CO’s have no information about them except for the generic stuff that was in their files…” Tony stated and crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at his shoes, clearly aggravated by the lack of progress they were making themselves.

 

Gibbs snorted as he stood up “Then there isn’t much we can do until Ducky does the autopsies and we have some sort of evidence… Get some sleep, all of you.” Gibbs ordered tiredly as he made his way over to the bed near the door and shooed Kate and Tony off of it before he collapsed face down into the pillow.

 

Tony smiled as he walked with Kate out of the room he’d be sharing with Gibbs and down the hall to her own room – Ducky and Tim were also sharing a room, and since Kate was the only woman with them, it made the most sense that she has her own room to sleep in; Tony and Kate both waited before Tim and Ducky went into their room before they turned to each other.  Tony lifted his hand and set it on the side of Kate’s neck “I love you.” Tony whispered before he leaned his head down and kissed Kate lovingly on the lips.

 

Kate gripped gently to Tony’s shirt as they kissed one another “I love you too.” She finally whispered when their lips naturally parted, their foreheads resting together lightly as she smoothed out the wrinkled fabric of Tony’s silk shirt “Sometimes so much that it hurts.” Kate added, her voice still in a whisper as she looked up at Tony.

 

Tony nodded as he set both of his hands on Kate’s hips “I know… Believe me, I know exactly what you mean…” Tony whispered as he kissed Kate one more time, then quickly pulled away when he heard the door to his and Gibbs’ room open.

 

Gibbs poked his head out “DiNozzo, lights out in five – If you and Kate are done sucking face, I would _really_ like to get some sleep.” Gibbs said gruffly but the smile that followed was anything but – it was kind and accepting, and honestly made weird things happen in Tony’s stomach, heart, and his mind.

 

Tony outright grins at that as he nods to Gibbs “Sure thing boss, I’ll be right there.” Tony said then turned his head back to Kate and kissed her, full on the lips with Gibbs still watching them “He knows… Cat’s out of the bag, baby… No reason to hide it, anymore.” Tony whispered, “Love you, have a good sleep.” Tony said as he backed away from his girlfriend and headed back down the hall to his and Gibbs’ room, the couple sharing one last loving and longing look with each other before disappearing inside.

 

Gibbs popped Tony on the back of the head the minute the younger man was inside and before Tony could ask, Gibbs was shaking his head “That’s for not telling me and not trusting me enough with your relationship – It hasn’t affected your work, in fact… It’s made it better.  I approve of it, Tony…” Gibbs said with all the fatherly affection his words could carry before he turned down the blankets on the bed he had claimed earlier and then stripped down to his undershirt and boxers before sliding into bed and shutting the light off next to him.

 

 

The next morning, a loud scream coming from Kate’s hotel room had everyone scrambling across the hall – Tony pounded on the door frantically, preparing himself to bust the door down if he had too, when Kate swung the door open, a panicked expression on her… much younger face.

 

Everyone stared at Kate, and Kate stared back at everyone “What the hell happened?!” all four of them asked at the same time, then began looking at each other as they all noticed one thing that they now had in common – they were all younger, and the one person who should have been present was not present at all, not until they heard the door to Ducky and Tim’s room open and a small boy – about five years old, came walking out, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

 

Gibbs stared at what he could easily recognize as Tim, if not for the NCIS shirt that was hanging down to the boy's feet “Okay… What the hell has happened to us?” Gibbs asked as he quickly snatched the five-year-old into his arms and ushered everyone into Kate’s room and they all stood in the bathroom, staring at their reflections in the mirror.

 

Kate and Tony were now both teenagers, Gibbs looked like he was twenty-seven again, Ducky now looked like he was in his early thirties, and as they all saw – Tim was a five-year-old, clinging to Gibbs like his life depended on it, and… in a way, everyone supposed it did now.  Tony clicked his fingers together “The damn apple!  They were… rigged… or something… It was the _only_ thing that we all simultaneously ate that would have affected all of us… but…” Tony’s voice squeaked and he quickly covered his mouth, his face turning a bright shade of red in embarrassment “Oh goddddd, I’m going through puberty again!” Tony whined as he stomped his foot in an act that – still – looked totally ridiculous on him, even at the ripe young age of sixteen.

 

Tim blinked his eyes rapidly as he tried processing all of the information “None of this makes sense… There is no way, no possible scientific way, that this could have happened to us!” Tim protested, scrambling to get out of Gibbs’ arms, even though the older but younger man refused to release him and held on tighter.

 

Ducky sighed as he rubbed his blonde hair “I quite fancy this look, and there may not be a scientifical explanation for why this has happened… But there is definitely a Wiccan way, young Timothy.  In days of old… There was a clan of witches that had devised a way to make one younger, and they typically put the potion in food to determine how far they wanted to age – dependant upon how much you ate of the food of choice, you aged backward…” Ducky said informatively, quite pleased that no one had stopped his rambling, but was actually looking at him expectantly, wanting him to continue his words “Ah so, last night we all ate the ‘ _poisoned_ ’ apple – Tim you completed your apple, leaving nothing but the stem and seed, hence you turned out the youngest… Jethro you only took three bites, leaving you to age the least in consideration of your previous age… I ate half of the apple and am now nearly half the age I once was… Kate and Tony, you both obviously must have eaten just enough of the apple to be in the age-range of puberty.” Ducky said as he looked at his now younger colleagues.

 

Gibbs snorted and shook his head “We need to get back to DC… I’m going to call the director and have him find another team, tell him we all came down with food poisoning and we are returning home… So, start packing up your things…” Gibbs said as he grabbed Ducky by the wrist and dragged the slightly older man out of the room and down the hall to where Ducky and Tim’s room were “Tim, head in the room and watch some TV… Okay?” Gibbs asked as he set the five-year-old down on the carpeted hall and looked into the green eyes of his former agent.

 

Tim nodded as he slipped into the room.  Ducky sighed as he looked directly at Gibbs “This is quite some mess we’ve found ourselves in…” Ducky said quietly as he pulled Gibbs up to his feet and inhaled deeply, but let it out in a very shaky breath.

 

Gibbs reached forward and pulled the shorter man to his chest, gently brushing back the blonde hair gracing the top of Ducky’s head “Quite the mess indeed… But hey, look on the bright side, Duck…” Gibbs said quietly as he looked down into the familiar and loving pair of blue eyes beneath him, a curious expression dancing in Ducky’s eyes and on his face “We’re young again, Duck… Means we can do a whole hell of a lot more with the time we spend together – _outside_ of work.” Gibbs whispered, waggling his black eyebrows suggestively.

 

Ducky chuckled heartily as he set his hands on Gibbs’ broad chest, spreading his smooth – wrinkle-free – fingers out across the expanse of his lover’s chest “Quite right, Jethro… Quite right.  We shall figure all of this out once we’ve returned to Washington… Unfortunately, I do not think we will be able to remain in DC after this… quite the conundrum… Ah well, perhaps you should go wrangle young Anthony from Caitlin's room, they are teenagers after all and… Well, need I say more?” Ducky questioned as he pulled out of his lover’s embrace and opened the door to his own room, the sound of cartoons filtering out into the empty hall and a child’s happy laughter echoing with it.

 

Gibbs grimaced as he looked over his shoulder at the room where they had left Tony and Kate alone “No, no you don’t Duck… I remember quite well what it was like being their age…” Gibbs said as he turned on his heel sharply and headed for Kate’s closed hotel room door, banging loudly enough to startle the two inside “DiNozzo!  Let’s go!” Gibbs barked as he continued rasping on the door.

 

Tony pulled the door open, his brown hair spiked in every which direction and smeared pink lip gloss all over his cheeks, jaw, and lips “Ah, sorry boss… we ah…” Tony stopped speaking, especially when Gibbs simultaneously slapped the back of his head and grabbed the lobe of his ear, dragging him across the hall and into their room.


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

Gibbs and Ducky quietly ushered his team into the darkened autopsy bay, it was the easiest place to slip into NCIS pretty much undetected by other agents, and since Gibbs – aside from his black hair and smoother facial features – looked exactly the same, they were easily able to get in through the front gates of NCIS, especially after Gibbs threatened the marine guard on duty with life and limb if he wasn’t allowed inside to get his belongings.

 

Gibbs slinked across the wall and stopped just before the sliding doors could detect a body “Coast is clear, come on.” Gibbs urged quietly, watching as the three youngest ones made their way across autopsy and Ducky followed behind them carefully.

 

Tony was protectively wrapped around the basket of apples, Kate was pretty much smooshed up against Tony’s back and she was also protectively holding onto Tim – it all felt very Sound of Music to Tony, and had even said so, earning a triple head-slap from Kate, Ducky, and Gibbs; Tim just giggled in that cute and adorable way that only children knew how to do, but whether it was from Tony’s pain or from the actual joke Tony made, none of them really knew and were to busy to ask.

 

The five of them boarded the service elevator that would take them directly to the back of Abby’s lab, and since Ducky was the only one who ever used it, and since Abby knew that Ducky was in New Orleans, she was ready with a metal baseball bat in her arms, only to drop it when she saw her friends all standing there, younger than ever before, her eyes went wide and mouth as well as she stared at them “How… Why?  What?” She stammered over her words, trying to find some way to form coherent thought and sentence.

 

Gibbs shook his head and snagged the basket of fruits from Tony’s hands “Not now, Abby… Run this, figure out why the hell we’ve all become _young_ and see if there is a reverse to this particular… mess we’re in.”  Gibbs ordered as he headed into Abby’s office with everyone trailing behind him, “Everyone sit down, we aren’t leaving this room until we know what’s going on.” Gibbs stated as he sat down on the futon; Ducky immediately sat down beside him.

 

Tony sat on the other end of the futon, Kate sat Tim down between Tony and Ducky and then she sat down in Tony’s lap, earning a very heated and angry glare from Gibbs, but she really didn’t care; she was feeling especially vulnerable right now and hated that feeling, Tony was the only one who truly knew how to comfort her – and he did, by wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her snuggly back against his chest and resting his head against the top of hers when she curled up against him.

 

Director Tom Morrow came into the lab, bypassed Abby who was now frantically dissecting one of the apples, and headed straight to where he could see five people sitting “Gibbs…” Tom started, and then stopped when he saw what once used to be his best criminal investigators, all so young “What the hell happened?” Tom asked quietly, pulling over a chair and sitting down, he knew he would need the chair – it was bound to be a long story.

 

Gibbs sighed as he leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands together “All I can really say is… Tony and Kate were out looking for any information regarding our two dead petty officers, an old lady stopped them and gave the two of them a basket of free apples – and believe me, when we are _all_ in the setting of privacy, you will be getting a chewing out that’ll last a lifetime about taking shit from strange people…” Gibbs growled as he glared at the two teenagers who were so tightly wrapped around one another “Anyway, Ducky has more insight as to these crazy apples…” Gibbs said as he leaned back and nodded toward his partner.

 

Ducky smiled as he looked at Tom “There is an old Wiccan coven who used to practice in the particularly dark arts of de-aging spells and potions… Apparently, this coven is still very active in the French quarter of New Orleans and has practiced her skills on unsuspecting people – Case in point, the case we went to work down there, the two petty officers were teenagers but their fingerprints matched that of their adult selves… Tony and Kate accepted the gift, unknowingly getting this potioned dose of apples and when we all woke up the next morning we were… This.” Ducky said, waving his hand between the five of them sitting on the couch.

 

Tom sighed noisily, but before he could respond, Abby bounded into the room with an apple half in each of her hands “Potion of Reversed Time – It’s irreversible and actually really cool if you ask me – For those who drink or eat this potion, it turns back the hands of time on their body but not their mind unless…” Abby trailed off as she looked at Tim who was playing with the hem of his still too-long NCIS shirt “Unless you consume so much of it that you go back to an age of childhood, such as Tim – He, unlike you for, will not remember who he is in the sense that he was an NCIS Agent – He knows his name and anything up until his age but other than that… And probably the four of you since you were together, he has no recollection of what used to be his life.” Abby stated as she set the apple halves down and then sat on her desk.

 

Tony raised his hand “What about medical problems, like… Oh, I don’t know, scarred lungs from having the plague?” Tony asked curiously as he rubbed his chest and looked imploringly at Abby.

 

Abby shook her head, black pigtails bobbing “You have absolutely no medical problems, whatsoever, Tony.  Neither will Gibbs, Ducky, or Kate… Any wounds that you've suffered over the years? All but gone – If you had any when you were at this age and before, then they’re there… but, nothing else.” Abby said, keeping her tone professional but her smile belied the professionalism she was trying to portray – she had a vast knowledge of this potion, witchcraft and everything else had always amused her, and seeing it in action was very interesting – so much so that she had already eaten one of the apples herself, knowing that she would be somehow left behind if she didn’t take that necessary precaution.

 

Tom snorted as he looked at Abby, then at Gibbs “Alright, well – I can keep you and Ducky on the payroll Gibbs but unfortunately for these three – they won’t be NCIS anymore… What are you going to do from here?” Tom asked, his tone edging on sympathetic as he looked at Gibbs.

 

Gibbs sighed as he rubbed the side of his head, “Well, Ducky and I have already figured things out… sort of.  We have plans of moving, leaving the area and starting over – we’ll all take on a new last name, keeping our first names for sake of confusion… and start our lives anew… What will we do?  I’m not sure, but we’ll figure it out…” Gibbs said as he rubbed the back of his neck and then stretched his legs out.

 

Tom shook his head “Like I said – I can keep you and Ducky on the payroll, Gibbs… Anywhere you want to live, you tell me and I’ll make it happen.” Tom said as he stood up slowly and pushed his chair back to Abby’s desk.

 

Ducky stood quickly “I do not wish to remain at NCIS – wherever we end up, I would much rather work locally… I have far too many a friend in the agency and they will surely know who I am – Jethro, however, has not made many friends outside of the Metro area and will have a much easier time settling in elsewhere than I.” Ducky said diplomatically as he held Tom’s steady gaze.

 

Tom nodded curtly “Very well then, Doctor Mallard – I wish you, all of you, the best of luck in your future endeavors, and I promise to help you all in anyway that I can, when and if you shall need it – Jethro, just call when you’ve set up new identities and have a location in which you chose to live.” Tom said before he exited the inner office of Abby’s lab, and then the lab entirely.

 

Abby bounced up to her feet “Before I start making multiple identities… I have to tell you something.” Abby said urgently as she stared at Gibbs, her green eyes pleading for him to understand that what she did was absolutely necessary.

 

Gibbs stood up and beckoned Abby closer to him and when she did move – eventually – he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her silky black head “I saw that you ate the apple Abby, and honestly?  I ain’t mad… I’d much rather you be with us than stuck here in DC anyway…” Gibbs whispered against the top of her head and smiled “My girl.” He said with every ounce of fatherly affection he could pour into those two little words.

 

Abby beamed brilliantly and squealed as she hugged Gibbs “Okay… So, the new us.” Abby said as she headed over to her computer and booted up the program where she could create every ounce of new identification that they would all need “What did you want your last name to be?” Abby asked as she looked up at Gibbs curiously.

 

Gibbs sighed as he sat down on the edge of Abby’s desk “Tony, you and I will have the last name of Thomas – Jethro Thomas, Anthony Thomas, and Abigail Thomas.” Gibbs said definitively as he looked at his nails briefly “Ducky, Kate, and Tim will be sharing the last name of Muscovy.” Gibbs said as he looked up at Ducky and received a brief nod from his lover.

 

Abby giggled “Another duck, really Ducky?” Abby queried as her fingers flew across the keyboard as she typed in everyone’s information that was relevant to the here-and-now, she would update and finalize everything when it came time to print the information out, she also needed updated pictures for them.

 

Ducky shrugged his shoulders “It would be ridiculous to have a nickname such as Ducky, and not have a reason as to why that is… It made the most sense that I keep ritual and settle on having another species of duck as my last name.” Ducky explained as he stood up and then lifted a sleepy five-year-old Tim into his arms easily “I shall now take Timothy down to autopsy and get him to sleep, he has been awake for far too long.” Ducky said before making his way to the service elevator.

 

Abby sighed as she continued tapping on her keyboard “So, where do you plan on moving too… Jethro?  Or should I start calling you dad now?” Abby asked cheekily as she looked up at Gibbs and smiled brightly.

 

Gibbs shook his head and tugged Abby’s pigtail lightly “You won’t even remember this conversation in twenty-four hours, may as well just stick to Gibbs for now, Abs…” Gibbs said as he sat down and began discussing the finer details of who he, and the rest of his now-fucked-up family were assuming.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony sighed as he buried his nose in Kate’s neck, “I really just want to get the hell out of here…” Tony whispered as he licked a stripe up Kate’s neck – his cock was painfully hard as it pressed against the soft curve of Kate’s ass.

 

Kate nodded as she gently massaged Tony’s chest “I know, I know… so do I.” Kate whispered, having to bite down on her bottom lip as a moan threatened to escape past her lips as Tony’s cock continued pressing right into her.

 

Tony chuckled gravelly as he laid his head back on the top of the futon, “You know… we’re seventeen-ish again Kate… What were you like at this age, the first time around?” Tony asked as he lightly drew his thumb in random patterns against the small of Kate’s back.

 

Kate sighed as she laid her head on Tony’s shoulder “I was a bad girl, Tony… I really was.” Kate said, slapping Tony’s chest lightly when laughter started rumbling in his chest “I hated my parents for being such devout Catholics, and every chance I got – I defied the natural order of things… Broke curfew, got drunk, got high… You name it, I did it… Except for losing my virginity… That didn’t come until much later.” Kate confessed quietly, cutting a glance in Gibbs’ direction “And if what Abby said is true about our bodies being exactly as they were when we were this age the first time – I’m a virgin all over again…” Kate whispered as she nibbled on her bottom lip.

 

Tony couldn’t help the groan that escaped him this time, capturing the attention of a busily working Abby and Gibbs “Alright, enough – both of you downstairs with Ducky and keep some goddamn distance between your hormonally charged bodies!” Gibbs snapped as he glared at the two teenagers, feeling a migraine building right in the back of his eyes.

 

“Wait!  Let me get their pictures first for DMV records… It’ll make the transition that much easier.” Abby said as she stood up, grabbing her Nikon camera off her desk and forcing Kate and Tony apart as she stood them both against a blue background wall used specifically for creating false identities; Abby quickly snapped both of their pictures and then sent them on their way again.

 

Tony sighed as he and Kate stepped into the elevator “Alone at last.” Tony murmured as he pulled Kate close to his body and inhaled her beautifully aromatic scent of vanilla and peaches, he then buried his fingers in her long brown hair and angled her head back and began gently kissing her on the lips “I am so glad… that… I was allowed to… remember you… to know that… I love you… so much…” Tony whispered between kisses, not caring that the elevator had stopped at Autopsy, the doors opening and then closing again.

 

Kate nodded as she buried her head against Tony’s broad chest, wrapped her arms around his waist and let out a shuddery sigh “I am too… God… I don’t think I could… I could never forget you, Tony.” Kate whispered as she lifted her head, setting her hand on Tony’s jaw – smiling when the barely there hairs prickled her palm “I love you, Tony.” Kate added as she brought his head down to hers and kissed him slowly and sweetly.

 

Ducky cleared his throat from behind the duo, “Alright you two… It’s time we’ve grown some distance – I understand that you are both a bit upset and in need of contact with one another… but there is a time and a place, and here is not it.” Ducky said as he guided the two teenagers out of the elevator and into his darkened office where Tim was fast asleep underneath a blanket on the small couch in Ducky’s office.

 

Tony sat in the chair behind Ducky’s desk, and Kate sits down next to her newly acquired baby brother, and then they both look at Ducky curiously – they had not been privy to the discussion that Ducky and Gibbs had earlier when they were on the plane, and they wanted to know what their plans were for this new future that they were being thrust into so quickly.  Ducky sighed as he sat down “Timothy and you, Caitlin, will become my official children once all of the documents have been completed… Tony, you will be Jethro’s brother as you two cannot easily be passed for father and son, not with the ten year age difference… Abigail, as she has taken it into her own hands, will become Jethro’s daughter… Which is not entirely inconceivable since he already looks to her as his daughter and vice versa…” Ducky explained quietly as he twisted his fist in his palm in an uncharacteristic manner.

 

Tony and Kate both nodded and then Tony smirked: “So, are you and my big brother going to be sharing a room, Doctor _Muscovy_?” Tony questioned with a waggle of his one eyebrows and a leer that could make anyone or anything, even polar ice caps, melt underneath it.

 

Ducky actually blushed, _hard_ , as he looked down at his hands in his lap; his only saving grace was that Gibbs walked in at that particular moment and popped Tony in the back of the head so hard, about as hard as Ducky was blushing, that Tony jerked forward “I don’t think that’s any of your damn business, DiNozzo!” Gibbs snapped and then made his way directly to Ducky, crouching down in front of his partner and looking up into the embarrassed blue eyes that he loved dearly.

 

Tony looked worried as he stood up and began backing up towards the wall,  Kate frowned as she stood up as well and moved over to Tony, wrapping her arms around his waist “Tony…? Tony, what’s wrong?” Kate whispered urgently when Tony remained stock-still, his eyes riveted to Ducky and Gibbs, his bottom lip was trembling so viciously that she thought he might actually start crying.  Kate reached up, grasping Tony’s slightly stubbled jaw and tried forcing his head to look at her “Tony!” Kate shouted, slapping his cheek to get her boyfriend’s attention.

 

Tony opened his mouth but the only thing that came out was a small dribble of blood “Damn it!” Kate hissed as she reached to Ducky’s desk and grabbed a tissue out of the box; now everyone’s attention was on the teenage couple as Kate tenderly wiped the blood that was running down Tony’s chin with the tissue “Gibbs, what the hell did you go and do that for?!” Kate screeched in outrage, turning hard brown eyes on her former boss.

 

Gibbs stood up from his crouched position and was immediately by Tony’s side, tilting his head back, mouth still wide open “Jesus Christ… I…” Gibbs shook his head as he saw Tony’s cracked front tooth and the continuous pooling of blood in his mouth “I didn’t mean too.” Gibbs whispered, shame and regret filling his voice and his facial features.

 

Tony finally snapped out of whatever funk he’d been in, his hand covering his mouth “Fuck!” he hissed as his newly cracked tooth bit painfully into every nerve ending his body had, he stumbled back into the wall completely, banging his head on the plaster to try and relieve the pain that was shooting through his mouth and down his body.

 

Kate and Gibbs maneuvered Tony over to the desk chair he had recently abandoned and dropped him down into it – Ducky was up and grabbing something from his medical bag in the corner of the room “Anthony, I’m going to give you a mild painkiller until we can get you to a dentist… Don’t fight me on this.” Ducky warned as he grabbed an alcohol pad and pulled the corner of Tony’s shirt down so he could rub the pad on his bicep.

 

Tony winced when the needle pierced his skin, one fist clenching and the other covering his mouth tighter as blood continued to seep through his fingers; he didn’t fight Ducky though, he just stared blankly at the desk blotter that was now being blotted in blood rather than black ink.  Gibbs was squeezing Tony’s shoulder “Tony… I’m… I’m sorry.” Gibbs said, and everyone’s head snapped up at the apology, except for Tony’s as he continued trying to breathe through the pain shooting through his body.

 

Tony nodded though “’S okay Jethro… I know you didn’t mean it…” Tony murmured, more blood was spilled from his mouth when it opened but no one commented on the fact that one cracked tooth and possible gum damage was causing Tony to bleed so profoundly; it wasn’t nearly as heavy as when he first opened his mouth but there was still a considerable amount.

 

* * *

 

 

After spending several hours in dental surgery, Tony was lying on his couch at his apartment – which would, in a few short hours, no longer be his apartment – Kate was sitting next to his hip and lightly rubbing the well-defined abdominal muscles that were exposed to her “Not the best way to start a new life, is it?” Kate asked teasingly as she looked down at her boyfriend.

 

Tony shook his head, his green eyes were cloudy “No… Not exactly.” Tony muttered and hissed as the tooth that had just been pulled and replaced with a fake cap gritted painfully “Can’t talk…” Tony whispered and closed his eyes; communication was his strongest ally when it came to Kate, and not being able to speak to her was making his heart break.

 

Kate frowned as she leaned forward and pressed a gentle, barely there, kiss against his mouth “Then don’t talk… We have plenty of time – literally, so much more time now… We can talk then… Get some rest Tony, I’m going to start packing.” Kate said as she stood up and kissed Tony’s forehead – they had moved in with each other about six months ago, but Kate had kept her apartment for the sake of not having to change addresses at work and Gibbs finding out; now that was all a moot point, but it was still their way of keeping up appearances.

 

Tony grasped Kate’s wrist before she could walk away “I love you.” Tony mouthed silently as he looked up at Kate, the words he didn’t speak were so clearly written on his smooth teenage face.

 

Kate got down on both of her knees and stared into Tony’s green eyes “I love you too, Tony… But, if you don’t let me pack up the apartment, we won’t have any clothes to wear when Ducky and Gibbs come to get us – Because we all know damn well that Gibbs won’t wait around…” Kate whispered as she pressed her lips to Tony’s bare bicep “Just get some rest, stop fighting the pain medication.” Kate added as she gently carded her fingers through Tony’s hair until his eyes fell closed and his breathing evened out.

 

Once Kate was absolutely positive that Tony was asleep, she stood up and headed into their shared bedroom, it was immaculate and spotless as always – what surprised her, was this was how the bedroom _always_ was – Her apartment was like walking through a tornado-torn battlefield of clothes and shoes; Tony’s apartment, when she first stepped foot in it two years ago, was spotless except for the car magazine left out on the coffee table.  She had expected Playboy magazines, food cartons, and clothes that were dirtier than the mud outside to be littered everywhere but she quickly learned that Tony’s habits _at work_ versus _at home_ were vastly different.

 

As Kate began packing up their clothes in the boxes that Gibbs had left with them, she smiled as she thought about all of Tony’s disgusting habits when they were at work – adjusting his crotch, picking his ear or teeth with the nail of his thumb, talking with his mouth full of food – none of those things carried over to his home life; whenever he had to adjust himself, he would excuse himself to another room, picking his ear or teeth happened only in the bathroom and with the proper tools, and when they ate dinner, his mouth stayed closed until it was empty before he washed down the remnants of his food and then he spoke.  Kate hated, but at the same time enjoyed, the two different sides of Tony that she got to see.

 

Hated it, because she knew that it wasn’t the real-true him, that he felt he needed to hide behind the disgusting frat-boy persona that irritated the crap out of her.  Hated it because he felt that being that person was better than being the polite, gentlemanly self, that she knew and loved.  When they were out, his eyes never strayed toward the first girl in a skirt, his eyes were always on her, with her completely and fully.

 

Kate sighed as she began pulling Tony’s most expensive suits out of the closet – they were in their protective covers, see-through so he knew which ones to pick.  When she pulled out the tuxedo, she frowned – they had started talking about getting married, but now that plan would have to be put on hold, yet again because of this fucked up situation they found themselves in – she wanted to see Tony in this tuxedo, to see him standing at the end of the aisle, waiting for her as she walked down it in her dress of white.

 

Kate jumped when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist “Damn it, Tony.” Kate muttered as she laid the tuxedo down on the bed and turned around in her boyfriend's arms, her emotions were all over the place and she couldn’t stop the tears even if she tried as she held onto Tony’s bare shoulders; the life they had been building toward was suddenly ripped out from underneath them and she felt the shift so deeply within herself, like standing on two different parts of earth after an earthquake.

 

Tony tilted Kate’s head up by a gentle hand on her chin, he reached his thumb up and lightly cleared away the tears on her cheeks “We’ll still get married someday.  House, picket fence, two point five kids and a dog… That dream is still there, Kate…” Tony whispered, barely moving his mouth as he looked down into Kate’s eyes “Now?  Now we’ll just be younger, can start out sooner rather than later… Can start a new life and do new things – I’ll do something less dangerous, you’ll do something less dangerous… You can even go back to law school, do it right this time.” Tony added as he continued gently caressing Kate’s cheek even though the tears had dried up by now.

 

Kate shook her head as she laid it back down on Tony’s broad chest “And what, exactly, are you going to do with your life that’s less dangerous, Tony?  You live for that adrenaline high you get when working a case…” Kate whispered as she lightly ran her manicured nails over Tony’s smooth and hairless chest.

 

Tony shrugged as he wrapped his arms around Kate’s shoulders “Be a stay at home dad to our two children?” Tony suggested with a cheeky grin as he looked down at Kate “I don’t know Kate… We have time to figure out where we go next in life… But, when I make my decision… You’ll be the first to know, I promise.” Tony whispered as he brought Kate’s face back up to his and kissed her sweetly on the lips before pulling away and grabbing whatever clothes remained in their closet and setting them on the bed.

 

And so, for the next couple of hours, Kate and Tony systematically worked through the apartment, packing up the things they wanted to take with them – mostly toiletries, clothes and memories of the life they once had.  The only other things that they were taking was the bed they shared, the furniture – couch mostly – and all of Tony’s DVD’s which filled five large boxes by themselves; they were also taking Kate’s extensive collection of books, which was almost three boxes full, the last thing they packed with Kate’s books was the photo album they had started when they started dating two years ago, it was nearly full of pictures but they wanted to keep those memories, even if they could only ever share it with themselves again, it was, and always would be more than enough.

 

By the time Gibbs and Ducky pulled up with two large U-Haul moving trucks, Tony and Kate had most of their belongings out of the apartment and waiting on the sidewalk to be loaded up.  Everyone ordered Tony to sit down and stop, the pain in his mouth was excruciating but he wanted to push through and get everything done; one look from Kate sent him straight over to the stairs that led into the apartment, and that was where he stayed until all of the packing had been completed and the trucks were now full to the brim with each of their belongings.


	3. Chapter 3

* * *

No one really knew where they were headed except for Gibbs, and presumably Ducky, as they headed down the east coast – Kate and Tony were driving in Tony’s car, following the two U-Haul trucks down the highway; Tim was with Ducky in one U-Haul and Abby was with Gibbs in the other, both trucks had a car attached – Ducky’s classic Morgan sat on a trailer, while Gibbs’ old Ford Pickup was just being dragged along by a hitch on the back of the U-Haul.

 

Tony sighed as he rubbed Kate’s thigh softly “How’s your mouth feeling?” Kate asked as she took Tony’s hand off her thigh and threaded their fingers together instead.

 

Tony shrugged as he rolled his neck “Like I was punched in the face…” Tony stated through slightly gritted teeth – the pain was absolutely excruciating, and every bump in the road made it worse and no amount of painkillers would stop the pain, he’d already tried chewing down two of the ones that the dentist provided, and even some Tylenol, but nothing was touching it.

 

Kate sighed, she could see the pain written so clearly on Tony’s face; she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Gibbs’ number “Yeah… We need to pull over at the next rest stop… Mhmm.  Okay, thanks.” Kate said into the phone and then hung up, looking over at Tony with a sympathetic smile.

 

Tony squeezed Kate’s hand “Thanks…” Tony whispered as they followed the two moving trucks onto the upcoming exit ramp for the rest area and found places to park in the area marked for larger vehicles.  Tony and Kate both got out of the Corvette and Tony stretched before groaning in pain, holding onto his mouth as he slumped against the driver's side door.

 

Kate frowned as she lightly rubbed Tony’s jaw with her knuckles.  Ducky walked over to the teenage couple and set his medical bag on the hood of Tony’s car “You need to rest, Anthony… Caitlyn can drive whilst you sleep.” Ducky ordered mildly as he withdrew a needle and an alcohol pad from his bag.

 

Tony shook his head, wincing as he did so “No… No… I’m not gonna leave Kate to drive by herself… I’ll manage the pain, Ducky… I just can’t drive anymore myself.” Tony stated as he rubbed his own jaw and opened his eyes, looking at Kate and Ducky who were standing in front of him.

 

Ducky clucked his tongue and passed the syringe and alcohol pad to Kate “If he needs that, you give it to him.” Ducky stated before he grabbed his medical bag and headed back toward the truck he’d been driving – Gibbs was standing in the door, watching Tim who had been otherwise left unattended; Ducky and Gibbs shared words that were unheard to Tony and Kate and then they both separated before getting into their trucks again.

 

Tony slid into the passenger seat of his Corvette and sighed as he leaned the seat back as far as it could go and closed his eyes while Kate got into the driver’s seat and started the engine up and pulled out of the parking lot behind Ducky and Gibbs.  “So, you never did tell me about yourself when you were this age…” Kate commented idly, pulling their conversation from yesterday back to life.

 

Tony cracked an eye open and chuckled “Not much to tell…” Tony said quietly as he pressed the button to raise the roof on the Corvette before they pulled back out into the heavy highway traffic “I was in military school when I was sixteen… Dad kicked me out of the house at twelve…” Tony shrugged as he looked out the window, staring at the scenery as it passed by “Couldn’t get into a whole hell of a lot of trouble, especially in Rhode Island… I drank on occasion when one of the older guys brought it in… got high a couple of times… that’s about where my story of teenagehood ends.” Tony sighed as he stared at the tree-lined highway.

 

Kate set her hand on Tony’s knee and lightly squeezed “So, when exactly did you lose your virginity?” Kate asked as she kept her eyes on the road but started gently rubbing her thumb against Tony’s bare knee, he was wearing gym shorts which were a hell of a lot more comfortable than the jeans he had wanted to wear.

 

Tony rolled his eyes as he turned his head to face Kate “I was twenty when I lost my virginity, Kate… The second year of college… I thought I was in love with the girl, she had a few more years experience than I did… She also had a few more boyfriends on the side that I didn’t know about…” Tony stated, his voice getting slightly angered as he turned his head again, staring out at the open road ahead of them.

 

Kate frowned as she squeezed Tony’s knee, he looked at her again and she sighed “I didn’t mean to upset you, Tony… I’m just… I’m trying to figure out where we go from here, who we are supposed to be now, as opposed to who we were then…” Kate said quietly as she glanced at Tony briefly before looking back at the road.

 

Tony nodded as he reached down to Kate’s hand on his knee and squeezed it lightly “Our past selves have nothing to do with who we are now… It’s merely just a guideline, we don’t have to do the crap we did back then now… I would rather start something new, be someone different… Not live under the oppressive thumb that my dad had me under, or the military school – I just…” Tony shook his head and looked out the window “I want to be a normal teenager Kate, have a life that isn’t uniforms and orders being spat into my face… Not that the orders being spat into our faces will probably change, at least when Gibbs is around.” Tony said, snorting slightly as he rolled his shoulders and then slid back into the seat and propping his feet up on the dashboard.

 

Kate laughed and nodded “Let’s just enjoy the quiet time we have now then, because whenever we get to wherever we’re headed… I’m sure it’ll all change.” Kate said as she reached to Tony’s radio and flipped on the CD – Frank Sinatra’s sultry voice filled the space of the car and Kate laughed again “You’re going to have to get a new taste in music, especially now that we’re in this new age of music!” Kate said, unable to contain her giggles as she tried changing the radio to anything else.

 

Tony slapped Kate’s hand out of the way lightly “I do listen to other music other than Sinatra… It’s just what was in the player…” Tony grumbled as he pulled the CD out of the player and slid in another CD, the heavy beat of Metallica immediately playing over the speakers in Tony’s car.

 

* * *

 

 

When the moving trucks stopped in a large driveway, Kate and Tony were both wide-eyed as they stared at the plantation style home – there was a smaller duplicate beside it that was attached by a screened porch “Wow…” Kate breathed as she slowly got out of Tony’s Corvette and moved to the front of it, taking in the large white house with the black shutters.

 

Tony slowly made his way over to Kate, he was exhausted and still in so much pain “This is pretty nice… South Carolina, huh?” Tony questioned as he looked around the marshland of Beaufort, the Spanish moss that hung off of all the trees made for a very shady driveway and yard – the expanse of land was _huge_ and would give the entire ‘family’ ample opportunity to spend outside… It also didn’t hurt that the beach was right there at the end of their property line.

 

Kate nodded as she slid her hand around Tony’s waist, her thumb slipping into the elastic waistband of his shorts “Yup.  Beaufort, South Carolina… Which means that G-… Jethro will be working at Parris Island.” Kate surmised as she looked up at Tony and grinned brightly.

 

Tony shook his head as he nudged Kate forward and wrapped his own arm around her waist, slipping his hand into the back pocket of her jean shorts and squeezing the plump flesh beneath his hand “Guess we should go find out what we need to do in order to get moved in as quickly as possible.” Tony stated as he and Kate headed over to where Ducky and Gibbs were opening the first truck doors.

 

Gibbs’ head popped up and he shook his head at the teenage couple so closely entwined around one another “Tony, I don’t want you doing too much – Watch Tim and make sure he stays out of trouble.” Gibbs stated, and it wasn’t even an order – it was more like a suggestion that Tony take it easy and only do what he really can without putting to much strain on his aching jaw and mouth.

 

Tony shrugged as he slowly slid his hand out from Kate’s pocket, giving her ass one more affectionate squeeze before doing so “Sure, I’ll just… Go explore with Tim, then.” Tony said a bit dejectedly as he took the five-year-old by the hand and started walking him toward the open space of the yard.

 

Kate frowned as she watched Tony walk away “Just because he’s in pain doesn’t mean you can kick him where it hurts the most, Gibbs… You need to start acting like his brother, not his boss…” Kate tutted as she hoisted herself up into the back of the truck and then looked down at Gibbs “Where exactly are we moving all of our bedroom belongings anyway?” Kate asked as she looked at her and Tony’s things, everything was mixed up in all of the boxes.

 

Gibbs shook his head and held his hand out to Kate “I guess we should take a tour of the house before we actually start moving into it…” Gibbs said as he helped Kate back down out of the truck and led her and everyone else to the huge wrap around porch “TONY!” Gibbs called loudly to be heard over the obnoxiously loud birds that were in the trees.

 

Tony walked around the corner of the house and smiled when he saw everyone was heading inside, he quickened his pace as best he could with Tim next to him; Tony growled as he swung Tim up into his arms “You know, I liked it better when you were six foot two.” Tony grumbled under his breath and then jumped up onto the porch where everyone was waiting.

 

Tony dropped Tim to his feet lightly and then quickly stood behind Kate, and together they all walked inside; the spacious house opened straight to the living room, kitchen and dining area and along the right-hand wall was a staircase that no doubt led to the bedrooms upstairs as well as a door that led to another unknown room “Floor plan suggests that the master bedroom is downstairs, there are two bedrooms upstairs and then that little house across the porch is a single bedroom, living room… something…” Gibbs stated as he started walking through the house; everyone immediately split up in search of their own rooms.

 

Kate and Tony stood in the detached portion of the house – it was exactly like Gibbs had said, a spacious secondary master bedroom, a living room and a bathroom with two huge walk-in closets “You really think he’s going to let us sleep in the same room together?” Kate asked quietly, almost nervously as she looked around the empty bedroom.

 

Tony set his hand on Kate’s hip and lightly rubbed up and down “He probably won’t have any other choice unless he starts building another room for you…” Tony whispered as he turned his head and kissed Kate softly underneath her ear.

 

When everyone regathered in the main living space, Gibbs looked around and shook his head “So, everyone knows where everything goes now?” Gibbs asked and everyone nodded their heads “Good… let’s get started then, it’s almost dark out and we need at least places to sleep before that happens.” Gibbs stated as he headed out of the house with every ounce of determination that he usually reserves for working hot cases.

 

By the time night did fall, the first truck had been completely emptied and they had started unpacking the second truck when a pizza delivery car pulled into the parking lot; Tony frowned as he rubbed his aching jaw, he hadn’t been able to eat more than just soup for the past two days now and he really missed eating solid food.  Kate sidled up behind Tony and rubbed his sweaty biceps “Just try and eat it… If it doesn’t work out, I put some of the soup cans in the trunk of your car.” Kate whispered before kissing the center of Tony’s back, even though it was covered in sweat.

 

Tony grinned “You know, a true testament to love that you can still touch me, and kiss me… even with all this sweat and dirt built up on me.” Tony said, chuckling as he sat down on the porch steps and then tilted his head back against Kate’s knees to look up at her.

 

Kate rolled her eyes as she sat down next to Tony and bumped her shoulder against his “I’ve been kissing you and touching you for two years now… Covered in sweat and… other things.” Kate whispered as she looked up into Tony’s eyes, they were now darker than before and that made her own stomach do a backflip and coil tightly – they hadn’t been _alone_ in nearly three days and Kate was really missing every little intimate detail about Tony.

 

Gibbs easily broke the two out of their hormone-driven thoughts by dropping a hot box of pizza on their joined legs “Eat up and then we’ll talk… After Tim and Abby have gone to sleep.” Gibbs stated as he carried the rest of the pizza boxes into the house, the screened door slapping against the frame as it swung shut.

 

* * *

 

 

Later that night, once Tim and Abby were upstairs, Gibbs and Ducky came out onto the front porch where Kate and Tony had remained through dinner.  Gibbs sat down next to Tony and Ducky next to Kate, they all exchanged looked before focusing on the dark driveway in front of them “We need to talk about this relationship… Probably all of our relationships, actually…” Gibbs said as he rubbed his palms against his khaki cargo pants “Ducky and I both understand that you’ve been in a relationship for a long time… And we aren’t going to forbid it or stop you in any manner… But, we do ask that if you plan on being…” Gibbs grimaced and shook his head.

 

Ducky cleared his throat and immediately took over “Intimate.” He stated firmly “That you do so within the privacy of that small house of yours – you may hold hands and kiss when you are in the main living space, but please refrain from any further action unless you are within your own quarters.” Ducky stated as he looked at the two teenagers “You, Caitlyn, are my daughter now by all accounts and I will look out for your well-being, but at the same time, I realize mentally you are an adult and that you can make your own decisions… I shall not stop you from being that adult.” Ducky added as he looked at the younger version of Kate and smiled in the way only a father knew how as he lightly patted her cheek.

 

Gibbs nodded as he looked at Tony “Same goes here – I may be your big brother on paper, but you are your own person; I won’t order you around, much… I won’t breathe down your neck as I’ve been known to do… All that we ask in return is that you respect the boundaries of your space and everyone’s space – There, by morning, will be two five-year-olds in this house that don’t need to see what two very hormonal teenagers can do to one another with just one look…” Gibbs stated, grinning a bit when he rubbed his hands together “Just behave and I won’t have to do anything that I’ll regret later.” Gibbs said in parting before he stood up and headed back inside.

 

Ducky stood also, setting a hand on each teenager’s shoulders “Good night, kids.” Ducky said with a smile and a squeeze to each teen’s shoulders before he released and followed his partner into the house and to the left side of the house where the master suite was located.

 

Kate sighed as she slid her hand along Tony’s thigh “Are we really, truly, finally alone?” Kate whispered as she glanced over her shoulder at the front door of the house and then back up at Tony, a slow smile spreading across her face.

 

Tony nodded as he turned his face, burying himself against Kate’s neck “Yes.” he whispered, his tongue flicking out and swiping a small stripe up the side of Kate’s neck, only for him to hiss and pull back, rubbing the front of his mouth tenderly “Okay, so much for that idea…” Tony pouted and laid his head on Kate’s shoulder.

 

“How about we go inside?  Maybe it’ll be easier… more comfortable…” Kate questioned as she kissed the top of Tony’s head lightly and continued rubbing Tony’s thigh, the fabric of his gym shorts riding up higher on his thigh and exposing bits of himself that shouldn’t otherwise be exposed.

 

Tony nodded as he stood up and shuffled the waistband of his gym shorts around – a much more delicate way of adjusting himself without being overtly disgusting.  Kate giggled as she stood up and kissed Tony’s cheek lightly “You do realize you can grab yourself around me, right?  We’ve been dating for two years now, Tony…” Kate whispered as she licked the shell of his ear lightly “I actually like when you grab your cock in front of me.” Kate added, her voice dropping into that husky seductive tone that always went straight from Tony’s ear down to his cock, and it was no different this time – it stiffened completely and was now tenting the thin fabric that made up his shorts.

 

Tony growled as he took the final step up and swooped Kate up into his arms “You tryin’ to get me all hot and bothered, Caitlyn?” Tony asked as he wrapped his finger around the screen porch door and pulled it open, sidestepping inside and then kicking the front door shut as quietly as possible without waking the rest of the household up – although from the light coming underneath the door in Gibbs and Ducky’s bedroom and the murmured voices, at least they were still awake, he doubted Abby and Tim were.

 

Kate set her hands on either side of Tony’s neck and leaned forward, kissing him lightly before she moved to his ear “I want you hot and bothered, yes.  It’s been too long, Tony… I need you.” Kate murmured as she snaked her tongue out and rolled it down the shell of Tony’s ear before latching onto his earlobe and sucking gently.

 

Tony nodded as he walked across the small screened porch that would lead them to their ‘house’ and then straight into the bedroom – the bed, not at all positioned where they wanted it, had no sheets or anything, but Tony didn’t care as he dropped Kate down onto the mattress and box spring and immediately followed her, falling onto his side beside her “Too long, indeed.” Tony muttered as he pressed his mouth against Kate’s cheek and slowly kissed her jaw up to her ear and back again.

 

Kate squirmed on the bed and pulled away “Wait… wait…” Kate said as she sat up and pushed her hair over one shoulder and looked down at Tony “We’re both virgins, Tony…” Kate said, her tone verging on annoyance at their current situation.

 

Tony groaned as he laid back, erection now mostly faded from the interruption “Yeah, physically we’re virgins… Mentally, not so much… I don’t get your point, Kate.” Tony stated as he looked up at his girlfriend with curious eyes.

 

Kate sighed as she stood up “My point is, Tony… When I lost my virginity the first time… I bled, _a lot_.” Kate stated quietly, wrapping her arms around her chest as an old insecurity she had _long_ dealt with crept back up on her and crashed down ten-fold.

 

Tony sighed as he stood up behind Kate and set his hands on her shoulders “So, I’ll be gentle… We’ll do it on the floor or something with a towel… Or, we can do it in the shower and everything will wash away…” Tony said quietly as he kissed Kate’s shoulder before hooking his chin over it and looking up at his girlfriend sadly.

 

Kate shook her head and pulled away from Tony again “It didn’t just bleed a lot, Tony… It really hurt and the guy I lost my virginity with… He was small, _so_ much smaller than you are…” Kate whispered, feeling the flush of embarrassment creeping up her neck and turning it a shade of dark red.

 

Tony put his amped-up teenage ego aside quickly at the compliment and wrapped his arms around Kate’s waist again “So we’ll work up to it, Kate… There are so many other ways I can treat you right… Don’t you remember?” Tony whispered as he kissed the shell of Kate’s ear lightly, tracing his fingers in lazy random patterns down her abdomen slowly and then hooking his thumbs into the waistband of her jean shorts.

 

Kate whimpered quietly as she fell back against Tony’s chest, grinding her full ass against his rapidly re-awakening cock “Yes… Yes, I remember… God do I…” Kate whispered as she continued rocking and rolling her hips against the hard length pressing into her back and the top curve of her ass.

 

Tony smirked as he spun Kate around and pushed her back up against the wall directly behind her before he zeroed in on her mouth, the pain there all but forgotten as he melded his lips against hers and kissed her deeply and passionately, his hands now settled firmly on her ass and pulling her hips forward tightly against his own.

 

Kate moaned openly into Tony’s mouth, her fingers scrambling on the smooth expanse of his bare shoulders for any sort of purchase as they rocked together against the wall.  Kate hiked one leg high up onto Tony’s hip and brought his body closer to hers, rubbing herself on his swollen erection “Tony…” Kate panted as she pulled her head back, thudding it against the wall lightly.

 

Tony slid his lips slowly along the column of Kate’s bared neck and smiled “Kate…” Tony whispered, his voice rough and deep.  Tony slid his hands from Kate’s ass and around to the front, unbuttoning her jean shorts but not doing anything more as he slid his hands back to her rear and slid his fingers underneath the loosened material, cupping her bare ass in his palms and squeezing with the rhythm of the kisses he was raining down on her neck.

 

Kate whimpered and dug her nails into Tony’s shoulders, her body arching tightly into his body “Tony, please… Please…” Kate begged breathlessly as she wriggled and writhed against his broad chest; she was finding it difficult to form thought or even pull in any air to her lungs, but god she did not want to stop, not now… “I need you, please Tony…” Kate whispered as she slid her fingers from his shoulders and up into his hair, angling his head back and staring into the lust-filled green eyes of her boyfriend.

 

Tony’s eyes suddenly changed from lust-filled to serious as he carefully set Kate down onto her feet “Anything, Kate… Just tell me how.” Tony whispered as he snaked his hand into her hair and held her close to his body, angling her head back lightly with a fistful of her hair so that they could look into each other's eyes.

 

Kate sighed as she reached to Tony’s shorts and pushed them down past his hips, the thin material dropped to the floor weightlessly and soundlessly “Gentle… Just… just be gentle.” Kate whispered as she turned her body with his and walked back to the bed.

 

Tony stopped midstride and hurried over to the box that had their towels in it, he then went back to her – he had grabbed the darkest towel they collectively owned – he laid the towel out on the bed and then stood in front of Kate again “Just in case…” Tony whispered as he pushed Kate’s jean shorts down over her hips and let them fall to the floor as well.

 

Kate slowly crawled backward on the bed and Tony immediately followed at the same slow crawl until they were both laying on top of the bed and underneath the towel.  Kate slowly trailed her fingers up Tony’s stomach and chest, bunching and dragging his red wifebeater tanktop with her and then pulling it over his head and tossing it backward haphazardly.

 

Tony shivered from the sudden cold that raced down his back, but then Kate started rubbing his chest again now that it was bare and his core body temperature sky-rocketed again, especially when she flicked her thumbs over the erect little nubs that were his nipples – they had always been an erogenous spot for him and Kate always either teased or reveled in that fact, and right now she was reveling as Tony shuddered above her and moaned deep and low in his throat.

 

Kate smiled as she hooked one leg over Tony’s hip and set the pads of her toes on his opposite thigh, lightly rubbing up and down “Tony…” Kate whispered as she lifted her head up and looked into her boyfriend’s eyes when they popped open “I’m ready… I promise.” Kate said quietly as she set both of her hands on the side of his neck and pulled his head down to kiss him softly and slowly.

 

Tony nodded into the kiss and without even looking, lined himself up carefully, rubbing the head of his cock against Kate’s extremely slick folds – he always enjoyed how soaking wet that she got and that would just turn him on even more.  Tony took a deep, steadying breath against the side of Kate’s mouth before he pressed forward with just the head of his cock and stilled every other movement.

 

Kate gasped and winced, her fingernails biting into Tony’s shoulders at the pleasant but painful intrusion “Oh god… Why… Why do you have to be so fucking _huge!_ ” Kate spat out, but there was absolutely no heat to her words as she wriggled and set the flats of her feet on the mattress, trying _anything_ to make the discomfort she was feeling in her nether regions to go away.

 

Tony smothered a laugh in Kate’s shoulders, trying so hard to keep his lower half still “I’m sorry, Kate… I can’t dictate what happens with my anatomy anymore than you can… Just gotta get used to it I guess…” Tony said as he lifted his head up and looked down into those gorgeous brown eyes beneath him; Tony reached up with one hand and lightly caressed Kate’s cheek with the side of his thumb “Breathe with me.” Tony whispered as he started taking steady deep breathes and letting them out slowly.

 

Kate followed Tony on their little breathing adventure and eventually the pain she had been feeling inside of her body subsided and she moaned loudly when Tony pressed forward, burying himself into the hilt and grinding his hips against the back of her thighs “Yes, oh god… yes, Tony, yes!” Kate cried as she pulled her legs up again and wrapped them around his back as tightly as she could without rendering Tony’s movements in any way.

 

Tony groaned loudly as he pressed his forearms into the mattress and pressed his knees down slightly so he would have just the right amount of leverage to easily slide in and out of Kate’s body “Jesus Kate, you’re… god, you’re so fucking _tight!_ ” Tony moaned into her chest as he continued moving his hips in a slow rhythm, pushing into the hilt and grinding his hips once again.

 

Kate cried out in pleasure with each thrust that sent her higher up the bed “Oh god… Tony, Tony… Tony, don’t stop, don’t… don’t… god, don’t stop!” Kate urged as she flexed her sore fingers against Tony’s muscular shoulders and shuddered violently underneath him as the first waves of her impending orgasm started building.

 

The muscle underneath Tony’s right eye twitched slightly and Kate groaned when she felt him pushing harder and faster into her “Oh fuck… Oh, Tony!  Tony!” Kate screamed out and only got louder when Tony’s hand snaked down between their bodies and he began rubbing two fingers against her clitoris “Ton-eeeeee!” Kate cried out when her entire body convulsed and shook with the powerful force of her orgasm, her entire body, from inside and out, clenching down tightly on Tony’s body.

 

Tony moaned as his hips involuntarily rolled and rocked into Kate’s body as he emptied himself deep within her “Kate…God, Kate… Kate…” Tony murmured as his cock continued to pulse deep inside of her body, neither of them thought that the steady stream of semen would ever stop as they clung to each other.

 

When Tony was finally able to pull out, they both collapsed into a tired and sweaty heap of limbs on the mattress “So…” Tony said quietly, his voice still husky and raspy as he turned his head slowly to look into Kate’s sleepy brown eyes.

 

Kate laughed breathlessly as she curled up against Tony’s side, her fingers lightly rubbing up and down his well-defined abdominal muscles “So… You’re still as good as you were when we were older… Now you just have enough stamina to go another round within just a few minutes, rather than an hour.” Kate said as she reached down and stroked Tony’s already re-awakening cock.

 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the house, Gibbs huffed out a tired breath as he stared at the ceiling – Ducky was wrapped up in one of his arms but facing the wall with his back against Gibbs’ side “Did we make a mistake?” Gibbs asked as he turned his head to look at the back of the blonde head of hair resting on his upper arm.

 

Ducky shook his head tiredly as he turned and curled into Gibbs’ side with his head now resting on Gibbs’ chest – they had both heard the screams coming from across the house, and unfortunately, to their higher libido and attraction to both the female and male form, they couldn’t help themselves either “No… No, I don’t think we made a mistake in allowing them to continue their relationship as it has been for the past two years.” Ducky said tiredly as he traced a random pattern against Gibbs’ ribcage.

 

Gibbs sighed as he wrapped his arm tighter around Ducky’s shoulders “Hope you’re right, Ducky…” Gibbs whispered as he closed his eyes and buried his nose against the top of his partners head, inhaling the musky scent of his lover before letting sleep overwhelm and take him under.


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

Kate smiled as Tony wrapped his arm around her waist as the couple walked through the Tanger’s Outlet mall in Hilton Head – because the duo had no need for High School since they already technically graduated, and the fact that neither of them really had to work for the rest of their lives because of sizable trust funds that had been left to them by family, the duo was able to spend plenty of time with each other; no cases or paperwork holding them back from just being a happy couple in public.

 

Kate tugged Tony over to one of the shops and he groaned as he saw where she was leading him “Build-A-Bear, Kate?  Aren’t we a little old for stuffed animals?” Tony asked as he followed his girlfriend into the outlet store anyway.

 

Kate shook her head as she pulled Tony over to the very large display of stuffed animals – they literally had every single bear or animal ever produced lining one large wall of the store – “No, I’m not, Tony… Besides, what if I were getting something for Abby?  She only has a few select toys and I really wanted to something nice for her… and if I find something I happen to like as well, then it’s just a bonus.” Kate said with a shrug as she and Tony started walking the long wall of stuffed animals.

 

Kate grabbed the unstuffed shell of an all black bear and smiled “She’ll love this one… Now to get her stuffed and find the right outfits.” Kate said as she linked her hand with Tony’s and started toward one of the stuffing machines, but Tony’s immobility held her back and she saw that he was staring at a pink monkey and a tan monkey “Tony…?” Kate questioned softly as she stood at his side again.

 

Tony reached into the bin and grabbed the unstuffed shell of the two monkeys, one pink and one tan “They need a home.” Tony stated determinedly as he pulled Kate over to the stuffing machine.

 

Kate giggled as she laid her head on Tony’s shoulder while they watched one of the Build-A-Bear workers begin stuffing their three stuffed animal choices “And you thought I was the one who had a problem with buying stuffed animals…” Kate teased as she shook her head and squeezed Tony’s fingers lightly.

 

Tony pressed his index finger against Kate’s lips “Not a word, Kate.” Tony said, shaking his head firmly as he turned back to grab their three stuffed animals and then started leading Kate back to where the large array of bear-clothing was located.

 

By the time Kate and Tony left the store with their three boxes and several bags of accessories and clothes for their newly bought bears – One shirt for the Tony monkey saying ‘I’m Banana’s For You’ and the one for Kate’s saying ‘Love You More’ – they were both giddy with excitement as they dropped the stuff off into Tony’s trunk “Okay – Are you ready to get some _real_ shopping done now?” Kate asked as she looked up at Tony curiously.

 

Tony nodded as he slipped his hand into the back of Kate’s jean pocket and started toward the actual department stores in the outside outlet – Their first stop was American Eagle, and Tony grinned as he watched Kate shoot straight to the skirts, he followed at a slower pace, his eyes grazing over the selection of form-fitting skinny jeans for guys and picking out what he would try on mentally.

 

Kate grinned as she pulled a distressed black denim mini skirt off the rack and Tony’s eyebrow shot up as he leaned on one of the racks “That’s awfully short, Kate… You really think Jethro or Ducky will actually let you wear that out in public?” Tony asked curiously as he put his finger through the hole that would land closer to her panty line than he was comfortable with.

 

Kate shrugged “Do they actually have a say in what we wear?  They let you walk around shirtless all damn day…” Kate questioned as she continued perusing the racks in the female section of the store.

 

Tony sighed as he followed Kate around, at least she wasn’t making him hold her purse – only because she didn’t carry one, at least never when they went shopping together; she usually just took her ID and debit card, making it less likely for someone to purse-jack her.  “They don’t let me walk around shirtless, Kate… I just do… It’s damn hot here.” Tony stated as he rested his forearms over one of the rack rails as Kate dug through the halter top tank tops – he actually _liked_ this side of Kate, being less conservative and enjoying the freedom to dress however she wanted now that she could; being a teenager definitely had it’s benefits, Tony thought as he watched Kate press the patriotic halter top to her chest.

 

Tony sat in one of the chairs and smiled as Kate slipped into the curtained dressing room “Enough room in there for one more?” Tony whispered as he peeled the curtain back a tiny bit and watched as Kate began stripping off her current clothes to try on the ones she wanted to buy.

 

Kate slapped Tony on the top of the head lightly “Honestly, Anthony… Could you be _any_ more juvenile than you were two weeks ago?!” Kate chastised as she pulled the curtain back into place and continued undressing.

 

Tony shrugged as he picked imaginary dirt from his fingernails “I dunno, I could try though…” Tony said and then looked up as Kate walked out of the dressing room wearing the mini skirt and halter top.  Tony whistled low as his eyes scanned the exposed flesh “Oh… Hmph… Yeah, you are _totally_ buying that.” Tony said with a firm nod of his head as he looked Kate’s extremely long and tanned legs over.

 

Kate shook her head as she bent forward in front of Tony, her breasts perfectly seated and showing in the halter top “I don’t need you to be any more immature and juvenile than what you already are…” Kate whispered as she kissed Tony sweetly on the lips before heading back to the changing room.

 

* * *

 

 

Kate and Tony sat side by side at the outside table of Olive Garden, they were sharing an appetizer of fried calamari and two large glasses of lemonade “So, can I ask you something?” Kate asked as she munched thoughtfully on the calamari.

 

Tony nodded as he popped a few of his lemon-covered calamari into his mouth and leaned his head back.  Kate inhaled slowly and let it out just as slowly “The other day when G-… Jethro hit you… Why did you go into a state of shock?” Kate asked quietly as she looked at Tony “He’s hit you in the back of the head before and you’ve never had a reaction like that…” Kate added as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth when Tony got that glazed over look in his eyes again.

 

Tony shook himself of the memories that started playing in his mind and looked over at Kate with a blanked expression “It wasn’t because Jethro hit me… It was how hard he hit me… The blood in my mouth… It just… it brought something back that I thought I had long ago buried…” Tony said quietly, subconsciously rubbing the side of his mouth where he had a two-inch scar on the inside of his cheek.

 

Kate turned in the padded metal chair, tucking one leg under the other as she watched Tony’s eyes go through a myriad of emotions before re-settling on that blank expression “My dad… he wasn’t the greatest of guys… and neither was my mom for that matter…” Tony whispered as he continued rubbing his cheek “Mom would get drunk off her ass every night and day, never hit me but she’d do things that weren’t really acceptable either – I was her bartender before I could even really walk on my own two feet… Thankfully she only drank vodka, nothing more, nothing less…” Tony sighed and set both of his hands in his lap, clenching his fists together tightly.

 

“My dad, he ignored me for the most part… Until my mom died when I was eight… She drank herself to death, had liver cancer…” Tony whispered, rubbing his fist on his jeans “My dad was an alcoholic too, but not nearly as bad as my mother was…” Tony shook his head and swallowed down nearly half his drink, grimacing at the bitter taste of lemon on his tongue “My father was abusive, in more ways than one… He would constantly belittle and berate me, my intelligence – or, lack thereof… If I got a bad grade, he’d slap me around… If I did something undeniably stupid or just… act like the eight-year-old that I was… He’d hit me…” Tony closed his eyes and took several deep shaky breaths.

 

Kate had tears dancing in her eyes and falling silently down her cheeks, she reached out and set her hand on his bicep, lightly squeezing and hoping to encourage him to continue, even if his story was breaking every bit of her heart.  Tony shook his head and turned to smile ruefully at Kate, he reached up and brushed the tears from her face away with his thumb and leaned over to kiss her lightly “Right before my twelfth birthday my dad wanted me to do something for him, and being the approval-seeking whore that I am… I agreed but that was until I found out what it was that he needed me to do for him.” Tony closed his eyes again and turned his face up to the sun, letting out a slow breath through his nose “He had a business partner that needed… some service… It was a guy, of course, because my dad was of the firm belief that women were meant to stay at home, barefooted and pregnant while the men went out and did the work for the home…” Tony shook his head to get himself back on track “Business partner was into guys himself, but… Not just any regular _guys_ … He was into _me._   When my dad threw me into the hotel room that he was in, I really didn’t know what to expect so I kept my distance…” Tony blew out a shuddery breath and clenched his fingers tightly into his palm.

 

“The guy started stalking me around the room – Luckily he was only on the second floor of the hotel… I made my way to the balcony and jumped down… Almost broke my leg during the jump but I got up and ran… I ran all the way home… Almost an hour away from Long Island… When I got home though – my night of torture was not nearly done, he had called my dad, told him that I left and did not serve him properly…” Tony was angry now as the memories surged through his mind at a rapid pace, his breathing was uneven and his fingers were biting so hard into his palm that the skin had started breaking and bleeding “My dad slapped me around, a lot, that night… Ended up splitting the inside of my cheek open, didn’t break any of the teeth but they were definitely loose for a few weeks after that – Luckily they were all baby teeth and naturally fell out…” Tony chuckled slightly, flicking his tongue across the scar “Well, as naturally as they could anyhow… I was always jiggling them and forcing them to loosen more.” Tony said with a shrug as he looked over at Kate; her tears had been replaced with the anger he so easily released a few seconds ago, “Kate… It was a long time ago, nothing bad happened to me, not really any way… Please, please don’t sympathize or pity the kid that I used to be… I ain’t that twelve-year-old anymore.” Tony begged quietly as he turned in his seat and took her trembling hands in his own hands.

 

Kate eased one of her hands out of Tony’s hands and set it on his cheek “How…” she cleared her throat of the emotional block that had lodged itself there “How did you turn out to be such a good guy?  How did you pull yourself away from that?” Kate whispered, the question was mostly rhetorical but at the same time she was curious as to how someone who had been abused his entire childhood had turned out to be such a good guy, wanting to save the world from the atrocities that they knew to be out there.

 

Tony shrugged as he stood up and pulled Kate up with him – the appetite that he had earlier was all but gone and they hadn’t seen their waiter since their conversation started anyhow.  Tony walked with Kate up to the podium so they could pay for their appetizer and drinks and then he walked with Kate through the outlet mall “I don’t know how Kate… I just knew that I never wanted to be like my dad or my mom… I wanted to get away from that… Often enough I found myself spiraling in their direction, I quit drinking when I started college… but I was still… a womanizer I guess.” Tony said quietly, shrugging his shoulders as they headed toward Tony’s car in the parking lot.

 

Kate pressed Tony against the trunk of his Corvette and set her hands on his chest, her fingers curling into the soft fabric of his button-up shirt “Tony I…” Kate shook her head and pulled her boyfriend closer, kissing him deep and hard as tears ran down her cheeks.

 

Tony wrapped his arms around Kate’s waist and held her close, pulling his lips away when she had stopped kissing him and was just breathing against his face “You don’t have to apologize… I know you never meant to hurt me when we would argue or bicker at the office… It was just… what we did…” Tony whispered as he rested his forehead on Kate’s shoulder and lightly swayed them – neither of them even cared that they were standing out in the open for all the world to see as they clung to each other, Kate still crying softly into his chest.

 

Kate shook her head, wiping her tears on the soft black cotton of Tony’s shirt “It wasn’t fair to you… Calling you a chauvinistic pig all the time… That isn’t you, Tony… Never!” Kate said fiercely as she grabbed the collar of his shirt and looked up at him, black mascara tracking down the sides of her face from the weight of her tears as they ran through it.

 

Tony sighed as he reached up and tried brushing away the black mascara but it only smeared and made things worse “Kate, please… Please don’t do this, not now… Not when everything has been so good for us… I don’t care about what happened back then – That was _then_!  This is _now_ , and we aren’t _there_ anymore!” Tony pleaded as he wrapped his arms around Kate’s waist again and pulled her closer, pressing his lips to hers and kissing her several times softly.

 

Kate laid her head on Tony’s shoulder and inhaled shakily several times before she was able to regain control over her emotions and breathing “Okay… Okay.” Kate whispered as she pulled away and brushed at her own cheeks, looking down at her fingers she saw the smear of black on her fingertips “Let’s go home… I probably look terrible.” Kate said as she walked to the passenger side of the Corvette, waiting for Tony to unlock the doors.

 

Tony clicked the button and the Corvette beeped, they both got into the car but before Tony started the engine, he turned in his seat and stared at Kate – her hair was wind blown from being outside for most of the day, the mascara had left black streaks running almost down to her chin, her eyes were red and puffy and the only thing he could think of and say was: “You’re the most beautiful woman I have ever seen or met in my entire life, Caitlin Todd, and I would not change a second of being with you for anything in the world.” Tony said quietly but sincerely as he held steady eye contact with Kate, more tears gathered and fell from her brown eyes as she leaned over and kissed him deeply and passionately, her fingers holding onto his cheek and curving slightly against the contour of his cheek and jaw bones.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony laid in their bed, staring at the ceiling and listening to the shower water as it pattered against the tile walls, only intercepted by shallow thuds as it crashed against Kate’s body when she stood directly underneath the spray; she had been in the shower for nearly twenty minutes now, and Tony smiled as he started counting backward – he knew exactly how long it took Kate to shower her entire body from almost the first month they started dating.

 

Where Kate had been conservative and prudish at NCIS, wanting to get things done on time and perfectly, her home life was completely the opposite; Tony was shocked when he had first seen her apartment, it was an absolute disaster – clothes were everywhere on her bedroom floor, and when he snuck a peek in the drawer by her bedside when she was in the bathroom, he was even more shocked to find an assortment of sex toys and a few male nude magazines.

 

Their lives at NCIS versus their lives at ‘home’ – whichever home it happened to be before they moved in together – was vastly different but they immediately found their groove, at least in the ‘home-life’ aspect… Once they moved in though, Kate had begun conforming to Tony’s neat and clean lifestyle more often than not; on occasion, he would still find Kate’s clothes thrown about his apartment, but he never did get mad about it, just simply picked her stuff up and dropped them into the hamper before going to find her and kiss her for no other reason than just because he could.

 

Kate exited the bathroom exactly twenty-five minutes later and smiled as she looked at Tony “You seem to be deep in thought, what’re you thinking about?” Kate asked as she sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed the bottle of lotion she always kept on the nightstand and began liberally applying the strawberry scented lotion to her body.

 

Tony shrugged as he pushed up to his elbows and watched Kate as she applied her lotion “Our past… Our future… My future…” Tony said and then sighed as he dropped back down onto his back and drummed his fingers against his flat stomach “I know you wanna go back to law school… But that still leaves me and what am I going to do with my future…” Tony remarked as he turned his head to continue watching Kate as she stood up and headed to the dresser, pulling out her favorite skimpy little satin nightgown.

 

Kate pulled the nightgown down over her head and smiled as the satin slid sensually over her body “Okay, what about your future?  You finally figure out what you wanna do with your life?” Kate asked as she gave her hair a quick towel dry and then crawled onto the bed until she was hovering over Tony’s mostly naked form – the only thing covering him was the silk sheet at his waist.

 

Tony nodded as he set his hands on Kate’s thighs, lightly rubbing up and down “You’ll probably want to kill me for the decision I made… But it feels right to me, Kate… and I been giving it a lot of thought, hell before we even became teenagers, again, I was thinking about this… How my life would have been had I gone this route before…” Tony said as he tapped his thumbs against Kate’s knees lightly, his eyes solely focused on her face.

 

Kate sat squarely on Tony’s stomach and sighed softly as she waited Tony out, knowing that sooner or later his rambling would lead them to her answer.  Tony inhaled deeply and focused his eyes on their joined bodies “Kate… As much as I love you, this is _really_ distracting me right now from trying to tell you what I want to tell you.” Tony said quietly, his voice dropping to a huskier note as he licked his lips; Kate was, as per her normal, soaking wet and because she had no panties on, her juices were coating Tony’s lower stomach where she was sitting on top of him.

 

Kate sighed as she gracefully rolled off of Tony’s stomach and laid down beside him “Okay, continue…” Kate said as she pressed her elbow into the mattress and propped her head up on her closed fist as she looked down at Tony and smiled innocently.

 

Tony rolled onto his side so he could face Kate head on, he set his hand on her hip and lightly squeeze “I want to join the Marines, Kate… And, hear me out before you start an argument…” Tony said quickly, raising his eyebrow and challenging Kate to try and argue – when she remained silent, he nodded briefly before taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly “When I was at Rhode Island Military Academy, I had every intention of joining the military, didn’t know which branch I wanted to join _then_ … But now that I’ve been around Marines for a while, and know how they operate…” Tony said quietly as he rubbed Kate’s hip lightly.

 

Kate frowned as she wrapped her hand around Tony’s shoulder and pulled herself closer to him “And you’re sure that you can hold yourself up to that kind of discipline?  Conform your already adult mind to that of a brand new recruit?” Kate asked quietly as she looked up at the underside of Tony’s chiseled jaw.

 

Tony lowered his head, resting his forehead against Kate’s forehead “I’m damn sure going to try, Kate… Damn sure going to try.” Tony whispered before he pressed his lips to Kate’s and slowly rolled her over onto her back and sliding in between her thighs.

 

The next morning, Tony sat at the kitchen table with two cups of steaming hot coffee when Gibbs came out of the master bedroom “Made you coffee, boss.” Tony stated, shoving the cup over to the other side of the table in front of where he was sitting.

 

Gibbs shook his head as he sat down and savored his first sip of strong dark brew, just the way he liked it – he always did appreciate the way Tony made coffee, even _his_ specific coffee was always perfect “Stop calling me boss, Tony… I ain’t your boss no more, I’m your brother.” Gibbs said gruffly, his voice still rough and thick from having only been up for a few minutes.

 

Tony nodded as he sipped his own hot mug of hazelnut infused coffee – they had to have two different coffee pots specifically for this reason, Gibbs drinking his super strong while Tony and Kate really couldn’t stand the rotgut that Gibbs drank.  “Yeah… Kind of what I need to talk to you about, _bro_ …” Tony said, emphasizing on Gibbs’ not-so-new-anymore title now that they had been stuck in their younger bodies for close to a month now.

 

Gibbs raised his eyebrow and nodded his head minutely as he continued sipping on his coffee slowly, both hands wrapped around the large mug as he watched Tony fidget nervously “I want to join the Marines.  I’ve done a bit of research and I have everything that I need to do it _except_ for my guardian’s permission, and since you are _legally_ my guardian as my older brother… I want you to sign the waiver so I can join in two months when I turn seventeen.” Tony laid it out, plain and simple, his tone was crisp and concise and his eyes never wavered from Gibbs’ eyes once he had enough courage to actually speak up.

 

Gibbs nodded as he rubbed the side of his head and set his coffee mug down “Have you already gone to see a recruiter?  Get the waiver you need me to sign and all the other information you need to join up?” Gibbs asked as he set his hands on the table and leaned back, crossing his ankles as he stared directly into Tony’s green eyes.

 

Tony nodded as he reached over to the chair beside him, producing the stack of papers he got from the recruitment center at Parris Island, on top sat the guardian waiver and a pen; Tony neatly placed all the paper in front of Gibbs and smiled “I’ve passed the required tests, showed the recruitment officer my records and everything else required… He said all you have to do is sign that and I turn it into him when I’m officially seventeen…” Tony said and rubbed the back of his neck slightly.

 

Gibbs looked up at Tony and smiled lopsidedly “Are you sure that this is what you want to do, Tony?  What about Kate?  Is _she_ okay with this?” Gibbs asked curiously, even as he picked up the pen and jotted his signature across the guardian line – if Tony did change his mind, the paper would become obsolete, but if he didn’t, he had the option there in front of him.

 

Tony nodded firmly as he took the stack of papers back from Gibbs and tucked them close to his chest “I’m positive this is what I want to do, Jethro… Kate is on board, she’s actually quite proud that I’ve made the decision to do something that I’ve always wanted to do but didn’t have a chance when I was younger.  I won’t let the Corps down, Gibbs.” Tony said as he stood up slowly from his seat and picked up his coffee mug.

 

Gibbs stood as well “I’d kill ya if you did, Tony… but I know how much you love our country… You’ll do just fine as a marine, little brother.” Gibbs said as he walked around the table and pulled the younger man close by the back of his head, he kissed the top of Tony’s head and then ruffled the long blondish brown hair “Hope you’re ready to cut all this hair off, boy… Know damn well that you need a high and tight.” Gibbs said with a wink as he headed toward the coffee pot.

 

Tony rubbed a hand through his hair “Think you can cut it after you get home from work tonight?” Tony asked, looking over his shoulder at Gibbs curiously.

 

Gibbs nodded “Yep.” He replied shortly as he refilled his coffee cup and took a long sip from it “Now go back to sleep, Tony… It’s still too early for you to be awake.” Gibbs said as he walked back toward the master bedroom, he turned and smiled proudly as he watched Tony walk across the living room and through the small screened porch that would lead him back to Kate’s house “Atta boy, Tony.” Gibbs whispered with the same pride surging through him as he slipped into the master bedroom and headed straight to where Ducky’s sleeping form was on the king-sized bed.


	5. Chapter 5

Kate sighed as she stared up at the bathroom counter from her seated position against the door; the little white stick was mocking her, laughing in her face about how she would be alone in this, how she would have to face the world by herself if it was positive – Tony was leaving for basic training tomorrow and her brain would not stop taunting her and lying to her; she knew in her heart that Tony would be ecstatic about the news, if it were positive, but she was worried still.

 

When her watch beeped three times, she slowly stood up and stood at the counter, staring down at the annoying little stick, her eyes widened and her heart started hammering against her chest – the little stick was positive, two very distinct and bright pink lines told her so.  Kate immediately felt bile rising in her throat, she covered her mouth and dove for the toilet, but nothing came up, she dry heaved a few times as sweat trickled down her forehead and the center of her back, “Oh dear god…” Kate murmured as she laid her forehead on the cold of the porcelain bowl “Of all the times, it had to be now… Right now?” Kate asked herself, staring unseeingly at the flat of her stomach.

 

There was no answer from the flatness of her belly and she slowly stood up, rubbing what she now knew to be her and Tony’s growing little girl, or boy… She wasn’t very picky, was starting to think like most mothers would – I just want a happy, healthy baby, with ten fingers and toes and a cute little button nose, but what she desired most was the baby to have Tony’s sparkling green eyes and his sense of humor, they both had brown hair so it was inevitable that their child would too, whether it had shades of blonde like Tony or shades of red like her in it though would only be found out at a later date.

 

Kate wrapped the pregnancy test in a wad of toilet paper, she contemplated keeping it but Tony would be gone for nearly fourteen weeks and she really didn’t need a peed on stick staying in the house, especially when anyone could have found it.  Kate tossed it into the trash and then threw away a few other generic things that were close to empty – shampoo bottles, shaving cream and a toothpaste container that had been milked dry earlier this morning.

 

Kate listened to the sounds outside of the bathroom door, relieved that Tony wasn’t in the room at that moment – she didn’t think she could face him right then and not blurt out the news that she was pregnant… She wanted to wait, to keep his mind clear of any and all distraction as he went through basic, hopefully coming out a better man – not that he wasn’t already a great man, but he would be better; at least this time around.  Kate quietly slid the door open and immediately stopped when a head of black hair pounced in front of her “Katie, can we go play outside!?” Abby asked happily as she looked up at Kate – Abby may have been Gibbs’ daughter on paper, but they had all become like a really tight-knit and close family after moving in together; Abby was like the little sister she had always hoped for when she was younger, and Tim was just about as adorable as could be as well.

 

Kate smiled warmly “Sure little one, where’s Timmy?” Kate asked as she hoisted Abby up onto her hip and tweaked the five-year-olds nose.

 

Abby twisted her head toward the open front door of Kate and Tony’s ‘apartment’ and pointed at it “He’s playing with Tony.  They’re playing with superheroes, I don’t want to do that… I want to go down to the beach and find some more seashells.” Abby stated as she smiled up at Kate.

 

Kate nodded as she slipped out of the screen door and walked with Abby down to the beach that was right off of their property line “Alright Abby Girl, go find your seashells, I’ll just be over there…” Kate said as she pointed to the end of the shoreline and then headed that way while Abby ran off and began searching for the perfect seashells.

 

Kate sat in the mostly wet sand and let the waves roll up her feet, she sighed as she crossed her arms over her kneecaps and laid her head down, letting the soothing sound and smell of the ocean encompass her as she thought about the next thirteen weeks that she would be going through; morning sickness would surely rear its ugly head up soon, she had to think back on it, and really could not pinpoint the exact moment she became pregnant – Their sex lives really hadn’t changed since becoming teenagers again, well… They had, but only in the way that they had _way more_ sex than they had when they were in their thirties.

 

Kate sighed as she turned her head to the side and smiled as she watched Abby happily skipping along the soft sand, her hand was already full of shells; Kate cursed herself for forgetting the ‘shell bucket’ but it was inside of the main house and she really _really_ just could not face Tony, which was hard because this news, albeit new, was already starting to eat at her.  She knew she would have to tell someone soon, otherwise, she would likely burst out at the most inappropriate time and tell the entire world that she was carrying Anthony Jethro Thomas’ baby inside of her.

 

Abby skipped up to Kate and dropped down to her knees a bit harder than she should have, but Abby didn’t seem to notice as she held her full hands out to Kate – each seashell that Abby held was absolutely perfect, no cracks, holes or breaks in them anywhere “Wow, those are really pretty Abby…” Kate said softly as she reached forward and picked up a green-tinted shell and held the delicate piece in her hand.

 

Abby giggled as she sat down next to Kate “It reminds me of Tony!  It’s almost the same color as his eyes.” Abby stated as she handed another shell to Kate, this time a blue one “That one reminds me of daddy and Ducky.” She grabbed another green shell “That one is Timmy.” And then she grabbed a brown shell and set it on Kate’s bent knee “And that one is you.” Abby said with a firm nod of her pig-tailed head.

 

Kate pointed to the last shell remaining in Abby’s hand “What about that one?  Who does that one remind you of?” Kate asked curiously as she looked at Abby.

 

Abby shrugged as she looked at the shell curiously “I dunno… it was just really pretty and it fits with the rest of them.” Abby said as she set that shell next to the one that reminded her of Kate and Tony; this shell was a mixture of green and brown but not in an ugly way, it was actually quite beautiful, it was green and faded into the tannish color.

 

Kate blushed furiously, Abby didn’t – she _couldn’t_ know – about the news that Kate was harboring, but she nodded anyway “It does fit nicely… You ready to head back home now?” Kate asked as she began collecting the shells off her knees and placing them in the center of her palms.

 

Abby nodded slightly “Can I run in the water _one_ time before we go home, pleaseeeeee?” Abby pleaded as she and Kate both stood up; Abby’s green eyes were huge and her bottom lip was poking out in that adorable way that was _so much harder_ to deny now that she was a five-year-old.

 

Kate sighed noisily and nodded, waving her hand toward the ocean and watching as Abby – in her shorts, shoes, and shirt, ran into the waves and laughed happily; Abby went in only to her knees and then came back out, but her entire body was soaked thoroughly.  Kate shook her head as she set her hand on the back of Abby’s soaked black pigtails “You are a crazy little one.” Kate admonished lightheartedly as she walked with Abby back up to the house.

 

* * *

 

 

Later that night and after everyone else had gone to sleep, Kate and Tony were the only two awake – this would be their last night together for the next thirteen, almost fourteen, weeks and Kate really didn’t want him to go, but at the same time knew he had too.  Kate moaned as Tony thrust into her; her back pressed against the wall “Tony…” Kate whimpered as he massaged the firm globes of her ass.

 

Tony huffed out a hot shot of breath against Kate’s neck before attaching to the soft pliable flesh and sucking greedily, drawing blood to the surface and leaving behind a perfectly circular patch of red on her porcelain colored flesh “Kate… fuck…” Tony moaned as he shot his hips forward again, burying himself inside of Kate’s tight heat before pulling back out again, only to repeat the process.

 

Kate clawed at Tony’s neck and shoulders “Tony… Tony… Oh god…” Kate moaned loudly as his thumb started circling her clitoris in tight little sweeps, her body arching and twisting against the solid wall of their bedroom and the solid mass of muscle that made up Tony’s body.

 

Tony wrapped both arms low around Kate’s back as he peeled her still writhing body off the wall and walked over to the long sectional couch that had seen many of their sexual activities in the past; Tony sat down on the overhanging section and then slowly leaned back on his elbows, leaving Kate on top of him and his feet flat on the floor.

 

Kate moaned as Tony’s cock sunk that much deeper into her body with the change in their positions, she rested her hands on his broad chest and began inching her way up his cock before plowing back down and crying out when the head of his cock pushed right into her G-Spot, sending a myriad of fireworks to blast off behind her tightly shut eyes.

 

Tony groaned as he dropped back roughly onto his back and wrapped his arms around Kate’s skinny waist, he pressed his heels into the floor and began thrusting upward in barely controlled movements; pounding hard and fast into her body as she cried out above him, her fingers curling painfully tight against his chest and leaving claw marks in their wake “TONY!” Kate cried as her G-Spot was continually thrust into, her entire body quivered and shook.

 

Tony moaned long and low as he thrust himself upward and held himself there, rotating his hips and forcing his cock to twitch inside of Kate’s body; Kate dropped down against Tony’s chest, sobbing in pleasure as her entire body began trembling and tightening around him “Tony… Tony… Fuck, Tony…” Kate chanted as he started slamming into her at full force, using every ounce of strength he had to send them both over the edge.

 

Kate and Tony cried out together, Tony’s back arching upward as his cock erupted deep inside of Kate, and Kate’s back arching backward as she shook violently against him as their orgasms took them by storm; they were breathing heavily as they lay on the leather surface of the sofa, fused together at every point from head to knee, Kate had her ear pressed tightly against Tony’s chest, listening to the erratic beating of his heart.

 

Tony was rubbing his hands up and down Kate’s back slowly, goosebumps forming as the night air filtered through the window and started cooling their sweaty bodies “Kate…” Tony whispered roughly as he wrapped his fingers in her sweaty hair and twisted it around his fist lightly.

 

Kate lifted her head up from his chest and looked down into his eyes – so full of passion, of love, and just that hint of lust that always got her raring to go “Yeah…?” she whispered back as she carefully pulled off of Tony’s cock and collapsed on the ottoman lounger next to him, both groaning with the loss of connection.

 

Tony turned his head and pressed featherlight kisses across her forehead and into her hair “I love you.” Tony whispered before he rolled onto his side and began lightly teasing his fingers across her cooling skin; he wasn’t in the mood to quit now and neither was his friend down south as it started hardening once again and pressed incessantly against Kate’s thigh.

 

Kate turned to her side and hiked her leg up over Tony’s legs “I love you too.” Kate whispered as she leaned forward and captured Tony’s lips with her own and then grabbed hold of his hand and moved it down to where she really wanted to feel him.

 

Tony grinned as he slid two of his fingers across Kate’s slick folds, rolling her over sensitized clit between his fingers before sliding down further and shallowly plunging into her hot hole; Kate gasped and arched into Tony’s chest, her hands reaching out and grasping onto Tony’s biceps tightly “Tony…” Kate whimpered helplessly as he continued thrusting in, working his fingers slowly deeper inside – she hated when he teased like this, but she still wouldn’t change it for the world.

 

Tony slowly pulled his fingers out of Kate, sticky and soaked with their combined fluids, he brought them up to Kate’s lips and smeared their juices across her lips, she eagerly pulled both of his fingers into her mouth and sucked on them vigorously.  Tony groaned as his eyes transfixed on Kate’s mouth, watching his two digits disappear deeper into her mouth “Kate….” Tony moaned as he pulled his fingers out and flipped her onto her back, hovering over her body.

 

Kate pressed the flats of her feet onto the edge of the leather cushion, her knees resting on Tony’s hips as he swiftly entered her again; they both moaned as their bodies connected.  Tony kissed along Kate’s collarbone, down her chest and back up again, over her throat and to her lips as he made small, shallow thrusts into her body; loving every moan and gasp that quietly left Kate’s mouth.

 

Kate rubbed her hands up and down Tony’s back and through his now short cropped hair – she did love his long hair, but the spiky little pieces of his new buzzcut were even more tantalizing and sent shivers down her entire body as she held his head close to her chest, panting softly as Tony continued rocking her into the couch; the leather was squeaking underneath Kate’s sweaty back, being forced up further on the couch as Tony pushed into her.

 

Tony followed Kate’s body every time it moved further up the couch, his cock indefinitely bedded inside of her as he pushed; wanting to draw out their last time together as long as he could, he ran one of his hands up her ribcage, lightly drawing random patterns on her toned stomach and over her breasts.  They continued to kiss each other lightly, murmuring words of affection between each peck, nibble, and lick.

 

Kate moaned softly, her body beginning to tremble yet again as her second orgasm of the night started closing in on her; she lifted one of her legs and pressed the flat of her foot against Toy’s bare ass, her toes curling against the smooth as silk skin “Tony… Tony, please… Please…” Kate begged quietly, her body arching into his chest as she clung to his shoulders, her breathing coming in short gasps of air as her body quaked and shivered.

 

Tony latched onto the upper curve of Kate’s breast, sucking softly and tenderly as he began thrusting brokenly into her – his hips undulating at random intervals, his own orgasm was building, he could feel the coil tightening in his gut “Soon, Kate… Soon, my girl.” Tony whispered against her breast as he pushed up to his knees, wrapped both of Kate’s ankles around his back and hovered over her body as he thrust forward, still he was gentle but he went deeper and faster as their orgasms started climbing higher.

 

Kate moaned softly as she tightened her legs around his waist and pulled his face down to hers, kissing Tony for everything she was worth as her orgasm tore through her body for the second time.  Kate’s body clenched and quivered against Tony’s and he moaned into her mouth as he began spurting deep inside of her again, his fingers wrapped tightly around her shoulders as he held her body close to his own.

 

Several minutes, or it could have been hours, they really didn’t know… They pulled themselves apart and collapsed bonelessly on the leather sectional, breathing heavily into the cool summer breeze “I don’t want you to leave.” Kate sobbed quietly as she pushed herself against his side and wrapped around him like a monkey.

 

Tony shushed Kate quietly, whispered sweet-nothings against her forehead as he held onto her body and rubbed her soothingly “It won’t be for long, Kate… I will come back, I promise…” Tony whispered as he pressed his lips to her sweat soaked forehead and pulled her even closer to his body; there wasn’t an inch of space between them, not even air could get through their bodies.

 

Kate shook her head against his shoulder and let out a shaky sob, she knew she shouldn’t try and speak, knew that if she did she’d really start crying, but the love of her life was leaving in only a few short hours and “I… I love you… Please, please don’t stay away too long…” Kate whispered, her voice breaking with emotion as the tears started steadily running down her cheeks and sliding off of his shoulder and onto the leather couch.

 

Tony just wrapped his arms tighter around Kate and soothed the tears with gentle motions up and down her back, across her shoulders and in her long brown hair; he whispered against her forehead, promising to return, telling her it wouldn’t be long, that he would write her every second of every day that he could.  Kate just continued clinging to him, her emotions were officially _all over_ the place and she had absolutely no control over what her body was doing to her mind at the moment.

 

* * *

 

 

Kate and Tony stood just at the drop-off for new marine recruits, he had a backpack strapped to his back and was sporting a sad grin as he held onto the side of her neck with one hand, and his other hand on her hip – Gibbs, Ducky, Abby, and Tim all waited for their turns to say goodbye to Tony but it seemed almost unlikely that the teenaged couple would ever let each other go.

 

Eventually, they did part with several small kisses, whispered ‘I Love You’s’ and more kisses that followed.  Gibbs stepped up to his pseudo brother and wrapped him up tightly, kissing the side of his shaved head “I’m gonna miss having your smart mouth around the house…” Gibbs said quietly into Tony’s ear; he wasn’t one for getting emotional, but the last few months had irrevocably changed him, all of them.

 

Tony clung to Gibbs like he did Kate, breathing in the ever-present scent of coffee and sawdust “I’m gonna miss having my head slapped off my shoulders.” Tony whispered right back as he pulled his head back and looked up at Gibbs with a bright and warm smile.

 

Gibbs released Tony and chucked him under the chin “Behave, Anthony.” Gibbs warned with a mild glare but the bearings of a proud brother as he stepped back and allowed everyone else to say their goodbyes.

 

Abby ran into Tony’s arms, clinging to his neck tightly and sobbing “I don’t want you to go!” Abby cried as she held onto her uncle tightly and tried walking backward with him.

 

Tony laughed as he set one hand on the pavement and the other he wrapped around Abby’s small waist as he stood up with his niece and gently bounced her “Abby girl, I won’t be gone for long… I promise I will come back…” Tony whispered as he wiped the tears away from Abby’s cheeks, he then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver chain and looped it around Abby’s neck – there was a locket on it and he smiled as he twisted it in his fingers “Whenever you miss me, just open this up and I’ll be right there, smiling up at you.” Tony said as he flicked the locket open to reveal a recent picture he’d taken after having all his hair cut off.

 

Gibbs carefully took Abby out of Tony’s arms and held his daughter close to his chest, she curled into Gibbs’ arms and held onto the open locket, staring at it and then up at Tony several times.  Tony crouched down again and Tim timidly walked up to him “I’m gonna miss playing superheroes with you…” Tim whispered as he poked his bottom lip out, green eyes shining with tears.

 

Tony sighed as he pulled Tim close and kissed the top of the newly turned six-year-old on the top of his head “And I’m going to miss you, bud… We’ll play superheroes all day when I get home though, promise.” Tony whispered as he hiked Tim up into his arms and smiled up at him.

 

Tim nodded as he laid his head down on Tony’s shoulder and hugged him around the neck tightly.  Ducky chuckled as he wiped tears away from his blue eyes and stood in front of the tall teenager “Anthony, do well out there… Make us proud, we know that you can do this.” Ducky imparted as he set his warm palm against Tony’s cheek and lightly patted.

 

Tony smiled as he wrapped his free arm around Ducky and hugged the doctor-turned-professor “I’ll do my best, Duck man.” Tony promised as he released Ducky and shifted Tim into the older man’s arms “I love you guys, and please… please… whatever you do, don’t forget about me!” Tony pleaded jokingly as he looked at the family he had come to know and love even more than when they were working at NCIS.

 

Kate barreled into Tony’s arms again, a single sob escaping her lips as she clung tightly to him.  Tony frowned as he held onto Kate and kissed the top of her head repeatedly – it was getting increasingly difficult to physically walk away from his family, but with Kate his resolve was quickly spiraling downward; Gibbs must have sensed that Tony was close to packing up and running back to the safety of their home – He quickly dropped Abby into Ducky’s arm and grabbed Kate, pulling her into his broad chest, holding onto her tightly as he looked over her head and into the devastated green eyes “Go, Tony…” Gibbs said firmly as he wrapped Kate up tighter as he felt her knees begin to quake, she would have fallen if Gibbs hadn’t been holding onto her.

 

Tony nodded and waved at his family before he quickly turned on his heel and headed over to the transit bus that would take him from the Parris Island main gate to the barracks that he would be living in for the next thirteen weeks.  Tony stood with the other recruits who were also from the local area and had driven down with their family, a longing look on his face and in his eyes as he watched them load up into Gibbs’ new SUV, Kate was still sobbing into Gibbs’ chest and Tony couldn’t stand to look anymore, he quickly turned and loaded onto the bus when everyone else started too.

 

* * *

 

 

Kate curled up on the couch in the main living area, Tony had been gone for almost an entire day now and her entire body was aching with the loss of not having him there, wrapped up in his arms; protected from the outside world but still able to enjoy every aspect of life as it came to them – They were no longer doing it together, no longer surviving life together; she felt the loneliness so deeply in the pit of her stomach and the deepest parts of her heart that she thought that she might scream – and she did, in pure and absolute anguish she screamed into the cushions of the couch as tears rose up and rolled down her cheeks and into the fabric of the couch.

 

Ducky sighed sadly as he set the cup of tea down on the coffee table and then sat down on the floor in front of Kate, rubbing her back soothingly “Caitlin, my dear… Come now… Anthony would not want you suffering like this.” Ducky said quietly as he continued rubbing her back.

 

Kate sniffled loudly and shook her head, finally opening her red-rimmed eyes to look at Ducky; what he saw there was more than just grief and longing for someone, there was an underlying of guilt and anger “Caitlin, whatever is the matter?  You seem to be far more emotional than what you should be… I have never seen you so lost.” Ducky inquired as he helped Kate into a sitting position and then handed her the cup of tea and a box of tissues.

 

Kate wiped her face and nose with the tissues and then took a generous sip of the tea offered “Ducky… I… I should have told him… I should have told him before he left – Now… Now he’ll have to wait fourteen weeks… And… God, I was so stupid not to tell him!” Kate said, berating herself as she slapped the heel of her palm against her forehead and growled in frustration.

 

Ducky held a confused expression on his face as he sat on the coffee table and pulled Kate’s hand away from her forehead and forced her head up with his other hand so that they were looking at one another “Kate, please… Tell me what’s wrong?” Ducky asked, having never used her short-hand name before; it broke something in Kate and tears rode down her cheeks at an uncontrolled rate but she was no longer sobbing.

 

Kate inhaled shakily, tears sucking into her mouth with the intake of air and blowing out when she released the air “I’m… I’m pregnant Ducky… and now he’s gone… and I’m alone… and… I never told him that I was pregnant!  He doesn’t know!” Kate shouted as she pounded her fist against Ducky’s solid chest and then collapsed into it as new sobs formed and shook her body.

 

Gibbs stood in the doorway of the master bedroom, having heard Kate scream, he remained silent as he watched Ducky expertly extract the problem – The only problem was _he_ didn’t expect that Kate would be pregnant; although, with the amount of sex the duo had been having, it was almost impossible not to suspect that she would turn up pregnant soon enough.  Gibbs sighed as he stood from the doorframe and headed to the couch, sitting down next to Kate and wrapped strong arms around her shoulders; Ducky smiled sympathetically before he stood and kissed first Kate and then Gibbs on the tops of their heads – he knew that Gibbs would know how to handle this situation, having been through it with his first wife, he would be able to fix or at least semi-fix it before the day was done.

 

Kate laid her head on Gibbs’ broad chest and inhaled shakily as she curled up against him.  Gibbs ran his hand up and down Kate’s back soothingly and kissed the top of her head lightly “Hey… Come now, look at me, Kate.” Gibbs whispered as he lifted her head up by the chin and lightly brushed away the tears “It is going to be okay; he’ll be home in fourteen weeks, and then you will get to tell him that you’re pregnant… It’s all going to be okay.” Gibbs whispered as he kissed Kate’s forehead in a fatherly fashion.

 

Kate inhaled deeply and wiped away the newly formed tears on her face “What if he doesn’t want this, Gibbs?  What if he’s not ready to become a father?  What if-…” Kate paused when Gibbs set his finger over her lips, effectively silencing her tirade.

 

Gibbs shook his head and smiled “He is ready… He’s been ready to start a family with you for a while now, Kate… You know that just as well as anybody.  Don’t run your pretty little head in circles about ‘what ifs’ when you know that all of them are false… Tony may only be seventeen, you only sixteen, at least in age… But mentally you’re not – You’re both in your thirties and have been planning this day for a long time now – _Do not_ let What If’s ruin your chances at happiness and having a family with the man you love.” Gibbs said firmly as he stared at Kate, holding her chin in his hand so she would be forced to maintain eye contact with him.

 

Kate nodded as she wiped the last of her tears away and inhaled deeply, she wrapped her arms around Gibbs’ slender waist and sniffled “Thank you, Jethro… Thank you.” Kate whispered as she kissed him on the cheek before standing up “I’m… I’m going to go lay down now… Suddenly feeling very exhausted.” Kate said as she picked up her abandoned cup of tea and slowly shuffled into her and Tony’s domain.

 

Gibbs sighed as he collapsed back into the couch; Ducky frowned as he walked over to his lover and began gently massaging Gibbs’ temples “They are ready, Jethro… There is no need for you to begin worrying about their future – They have everything well in hand… All they need now is a place to have for when their child is born.” Ducky said soothingly as he looked down into the icy blue eyes of his partner.

 

Gibbs nodded as he smiled and squeezed both of Ducky’s wrists “Suppose that could be my wedding gift and baby shower gift to the two of them – building onto their home to give them a proper master bedroom and a nursery, as well as a crib?” Gibbs said as he stood up and walked around the couch to wrap his lover up in his arms.

 

Ducky nodded as he wrapped his arms around Gibbs’ waist “That sounds like a lovely suggestion, and I’m sure that both Caitlin and Anthony will appreciate the sentiment and hard work that you put into the new addition to their side of the home.” Ducky said as he kissed Gibbs’ chest lightly before tilting his head back and capturing his lover's lips with his own.


	6. Chapter 6

Kate nervously tapped her fingers against her exposed upper stomach, Ducky stood at the head of the examination table, his hand resting on her shoulder as he watched the ultrasound machine while the technician rolled the probe over her slightly pudgy stomach as the doctor did other things, like read over Kate’s medical charts and history; one that only consisted of her medical problems from birth to sixteen.

 

This was her first ultrasound of many to come and it wasn’t unheard of to be nervous – even experienced moms were always nervous when they did their first ultrasound.  Kate shuddered as the technician globbed more of the cold liquid on her stomach and smeared it around, Ducky squeezed his daughter’s shoulder sympathetically but smiled when the technician paused the screen “Alright, Doctor Eustis, we’ve finally found it.” The technician said as she turned to the older woman in the room.

 

Doctor Jane Eustis nodded as she moved to stand beside her technician, hmming and hawing as she wrote down what she needed to on Kate’s newly formed medical chart.  Kate bit her lip nervously as she went between looking at the ultrasound machine, to looking at the doctor “What is it?  What’s wrong?” Kate whispered although it sounded so loud in the silent room.

 

Jane shook her head and smiled at Kate “Nothing is wrong, darling.  I’m just making sure that I’ve gotten everything I need to be written down.” Jane assured Kate and then tapped her technician’s shoulder “Print three copies out for me and then burn the video to a DVD please, Miranda.” Jane requested as she returned to the metal stool next to the exam table Kate was laid on and looked up at Ducky “Doctor Muscovy, I’m sure you would like to remain with your daughter – but could I please have a few moments with her alone?” Jane asked as she looked into the kind blue eyes of the young father.

 

Ducky nodded as he looked down at Kate who smiled up at him reassuringly “I’ll be okay, dad… Promise.” Kate said quietly, reaching up with one hand and squeezing Ducky’s hand warmly before letting it fall back to her side as she watched Ducky walk out of the small exam room and pull the door closed behind him.

 

Kate wiped her belly clear of the gel when instructed and then sat up, crossing one leg underneath her other as she stared at the doctor “Okay, so what is wrong that you couldn’t speak with my father present?” Kate asked hotly, her emotions were still a jumbled mess and whenever she wanted to be nice, it came out angry and vice versa… It was confusing as hell to everyone she lived with, even herself.

 

Jane smiled “I just wanted to tell you this privately… It works much better when a parent or even a spouse or boyfriend are not present and you have time to absorb the information before telling anyone.” Jane said as she took the printed ultrasound from her technician and held it close to Kate, pointing to two small blobs on the image “As you can see here, you’re carrying twins, Kate… Fraternal twins.  A boy and a girl.   We’ve estimated that you’re about sixteen weeks along now and both babies were in the perfect position for us to see this.” Jane explained softly as she looked up at Kate rather than at the ultrasound.

 

Kate stared, stunned, as she held the small five-by-eight photograph in one hand and setting her other against her swollen abdomen – so many things started clicking into place as she thought over the past couple of weeks, her hunger had increased drastically, her stomach getting bigger by what felt like every hour; she was carrying twins, two little babies that would resemble her and Tony, would share their DNA, would share a home inside of her belly for the next twenty-four weeks or so.

 

Kate smiled as she brushed her thumb over the ultrasound and looked up at the doctor, it wasn’t hard to accept this news – although now she had a lot more news to tell when Tony came home in two weeks – “Thank you, Doctor Eustis… This will definitely make my boyfriend happy.” Kate said softly as she hugged the doctor, which – in her previous life – would have been completely uncharacteristic to hug someone she’d only just met a few short hours ago.

 

Jane nodded as she awkwardly hugged her patient back “I’ll have the discharge nurse give you everything you’ll need, including your next appointment and the prenatal vitamins that you need to start taking immediately.  Your two little ones are extremely healthy and extremely happy, and I’m sure you want to keep them that way.” Jane said as she gathered up her belongings, intent on guiding her new young patient out of the exam room.

 

Kate nodded enthusiastically as she took the DVD and two other ultrasound pictures from the technician Miranda “I will definitely take them and start eating a proper diet – My dad is a doctor, after all… He knows a lot about eating healthy and maintaining a good weight.” Kate said happily as she and the doctor headed out of the room.

 

Ducky stood from his chair when he saw Kate and smiled warmly at his daughter, the doctor said a quick goodbye and then they headed to the discharge window “Well, how did it go?  What did the doctor say?” Ducky asked, almost excitedly as Kate felt right now.

 

Kate giggled as she handed Ducky the ultrasound picture, knowing he would easily be able to read the blurry lines of her two little ones.  Ducky looked stunned as he held the small photograph “My… Caitlin, you are having twins!” he exclaimed as he blinked and looked up at his daughter, a wide grin spreading across his face as he tucked her in against his chest and kissed her forehead “This is splendid news, my darling.  Splendid indeed.” Ducky said joyfully as he tucked the photograph against his chest and tried to sniffle away the tears that were in his eyes.

 

Kate nodded as she looked up at Ducky “Now just to tell Jethro… and Tony…” Kate whispered sadly as she said Tony’s name; she still went to sleep every night and cried into one of his shirts, they all smelled like him – everything in their room smelled like him, even after being gone for twelve weeks.

 

Ducky sighed as he rubbed Kate’s back lightly “Two more weeks my dear, two more weeks and he will be home and can lavish your beautiful children with all the love and affection he has.” Ducky said as he collected the paperwork from the discharge nurse, signed the sheets of paper he needed to sign and then handed them off to Kate for her to sign as well.

 

* * *

 

 

Jethro sighed heavily as he wiped the back of his glove covered hand across his sweat covered forehead – he had taken the past thirteen weeks off from work to get as much done on the addition to their house as possible to prepare for Tony and Kate’s new bedroom as well as the impending nephew/grandchild that would be coming home to them all.

 

Kate smiled as she walked into the half-finished nursery – the master bedroom was already complete and she’d been sleeping in there for the past couple of days, but often found that the living room held much more of Tony’s scent than anywhere else, and always ended up sleeping on the couch; Kate wrapped her arms around the small bump protruding from her stomach and looked up at Jethro.

 

Jethro smiled as he dropped down gracefully from the ceiling rafters and landed in front of Kate, wiping his sawdust covered gloves off on his shorts before removing them and setting his hand on Kate’s stomach “How was the doctor’s appointment?” Jethro asked as he removed his hand and looked directly into Kate’s shiny brown eyes.

 

Kate smiled brightly as she produced one of the ultrasound pictures and pressed it into Jethro’s hands “The appointment was good.  Doctor Eustis was nice, very thorough… Kind of quiet though, like you used to be… Only spoke when she had too… But was very precise when she did.” Kate said as she slowly walked around the half-finished nursery, waiting for Jethro to read and decipher what it was he was looking at.

 

Jethro blinked a few times as he stared hard at the photograph “Kate… There’s two… there is two baby looking things on this… Did they screw up?” Jethro asked as he looked up and spun to find Kate standing under the hole in the ceiling that he had been working on to insert a skylight.

 

Kate shook her head as she smiled softly “Nope.  They didn’t screw up.  There really are two baby looking things growing inside of me, Jethro.” Kate said happily as she rubbed her abdomen and turned her head to look at him.

 

Jethro blinked in amazement “Don’t… don’t move, Kate.” Jethro said as he urgently dug into his pocket and pulled out the digital camera he’d been carrying around with him for the past few weeks now – it was at Kate’s request that he captures every moment he thought worthy of photographing and right now, with Kate standing underneath the beaming sunlight, her long brown-auburn hair glistening and her stomach proudly on display with her hands protectively holding it, she looked absolutely stunning.

 

Kate smiled when Jethro clicked the camera a few times and then slid the camera back into his pocket “Sorry… Wow.  So, you’re having twins huh?” Jethro asked as he stood next to his future sister-in-law and set his hand on her stomach again and closed his eyes – he didn’t know what he was feeling for exactly, maybe some sort of sign that there was actually two babies inside of her.

 

Kate giggled as she looked up at Jethro “You’re not an ultrasound machine or a stethoscope, Jethro… You’ll never be able to feel or even hear them like that.”  Kate said softly as she hugged him and kissed his cheek “How do you think Tony is going to take the news?” Kate asked curiously as she sat down on the stool that Jethro had been using for taking his short breaks.

 

Jethro chuckled as he jumped from the ground up to the rafter and clung to it with his bare hands before hoisting himself up onto it and straddling the wooden beam as he looked down at Kate “Tony?  Pfft… He’s going to be about as happy as a kid in a candy store at Disney Land on Fourth of July, Kate…” Jethro said as he pointed to his gloves on the floor “Hand me those?” he asked as he leaned down through the two beams.

 

Kate sighed as she stood up and bent to pick the gloves up, then handed them up to Jethro and smiled when she held on, forcing him to stay still as well “Thank you for being so understanding of this, Gibbs… I know it’s not easy seeing a sixteen-year-old girl pregnant… but I really do love Tony and I love these kids.” Kate said as she released Jethro’s work gloves.

 

Jethro shook his head and bent his head down to kiss the top of Kate’s head “Nothing to thank me for, Kate… You’re mentally an adult, we – Ducky and I – truthfully cannot stop you from whatever it is that you and Tony do, separately or together, we can just encourage and guide you as we have always done… Now get out of here, all that sawdust ain’t good for the babies or you.” Jethro said gruffly, swatting Kate on the top of her head with the gloves lightly before he pulled them back onto his hands and pulled himself up to the half-finished roof.

 

Kate smiled and shook her head as she headed out of the nursery and back into the main living area of their home; Ducky was sitting on the couch with Tim, they were reading one of the more upper-level books that Tim really shouldn’t be reading because he was only six, but because they all knew him to have a higher intellect, it was almost perfectly normal to see him reading a book on quantum physics or whatever the hell physics they were reading about, if that’s what they were even reading.

 

Abby, for all of her intelligence, put more of her life into creating masterpieces of artwork that were literally covering the entire front and sides of the double-wide fridge – if you could see the back of the fridge, it too would probably be covered in Abby’s drawings; undoubtedly, Jethro was a little bit of a push-over when it came to Abby, especially now that she was so young and could easily persuade him into doing just about anything when she batted her eyelashes or pouted out her bottom lip in that adorable way that only Abby knew how.

 

Kate kissed the top of Abby’s head between her two perfect pigtails “Hey Abby Girl, what’cha drawing?” Kate asked as she sat down next to Abby at the kitchen table and pulled over a blank piece of paper and the colored graphite pencils she had bought for her and Abby to share and put the black graphite pencil to the paper lightly.

 

Abby shrugged as she tilted the paper to Kate “I’m drawing Tony… He’s a superhero marine now, so he needs a new outfit…” Abby said as she pointed to the picture that she had drawn months ago of Tony in a regular red and gold superhero outfit – the new one Tony was wearing a green camo-looking cape, a green shirt that said ‘USMC’ across the chest and tan cargo-like pants; she obviously drew her inspiration from Jethro’s normal house attire since that was one of his more normal outfits when he was working around the house.

 

Kate laughed as she put pencil to paper again “Drawing Tony is a great idea, maybe I’ll draw him too…” Kate whispered as she bent her head and pushed her chair back a bit to accommodate her wider front and then carefully began drawing the contours of Tony’s face from memory. 

 

Switching pencils often, it took Kate nearly an entire day to draw Tony just perfectly; she erased and growled, nearly crumpled the paper a thousand times, but by the time ten o’clock hit she was complete and satisfied with her drawing of the man she loved more than she would have ever imagined; it wouldn’t hang with Abby’s drawings but go by her bedside tonight, and she knew that she would stare at it while crying herself to sleep.

 

Jethro came out of the breezeway and sighed, shaking his head slightly as he came over to Kate, her head was lolling forward with exhaustion “Come on, you’re tired…” Jethro said as he helped Kate up to her feet and guided her across the living room and into her and Tony’s new master bedroom; Jethro set the drawn picture of Tony on the nightstand and then carefully helped Kate into the bed, tucking her in and kissing the top of her head “Thirteen more days, Kate… Just thirteen, you can do it.” Jethro whispered as he tucked a lock of brown hair behind Kate’s ear and then turned off the light to the room; moonlight streaming in through the two skylights above the new king-size bed that had center attention in the bedroom.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony grunted as he made a quick roll out of his compromising position and landed flat on his stomach in a patch of thick weeds, the comm unit he had in his ear crackled to life “Alpha 1 this is Alpha 2, we have the target in sight and are ready to take aim.” The voice of Tony’s partner Jack McLean sounded as the duo traversed the thick density of their ‘war-torn’ country simulation.

 

Tony put his finger to his ear, even as he continued crawling toward the ledge that would give him the perfect view of their target “Alpha 2 this is Alpha 1, we also have the target in sight…” Tony said into his comm set and then inhaled steadily as he brought his M40A3 Sniper Rifle up to his shoulder and lined up his sights carefully while his spotter, Gregory Blaine, spoke quietly to him about the distance and range that their target was at – a modified dummy that splattered false blood every time it was hit.

 

This was their final ‘mission’ together before they all received their MOS orders and graduation in two days.  Tony inhaled deeply and slowly as he resought his target, and as he had been taught by more than one person over the past twenty or better years, always go for the chest, never the head.  Tony lined up for center-chest and, when given the order by their drill instructor, he placed his finger close to the trigger and waited for the firing order – Tony’s bullet exited his rifle the second the DI gave the order, his bullet sped like a bolt of lighting across the mile-long terrain and landed dead center in the heart of their training dummy, red blood splattering across the sand colored wall and on the ground.

 

No one cheered or even made an exclamation at Tony’s amazing shot, he was internally proud of himself and thought that his older brother would also be proud, but said nothing and didn’t boast about how awesome he was or how no one else could have done it quite as good as he did.  Tony just sat up slowly from his position and let out every ounce of nervous energy he had with one long exhale and when their drill instructor called an end to their mission, he stood up with Gregory and the two emerged from the depths of the woods and ran full-tilt in the direction of their mission tent to find their DI standing there waiting.

 

The DI had his arms behind his back and when his five boys-turning-men returned from their positions, he smiled faintly but it was soon gone, barely there to begin with “That was some good work boys, I’ll make Marines out of you yet!” he barked, to a chorus of ‘yes sir’ from all five of the recruits, all under the age of twenty but none as young as Tony.  The DI paced the line and stood in front of Tony “Thomas, that was an absolutely OUTSTANDING shot.  Where’d you learn to shoot a rifle like that?” the DI asked, pointing to the rifle slung over Tony’s back.

 

Tony straightened his spine “My brother was a sniper in the Marines, sir!” Tony snapped out hastily, a split-second grin gracing his face before it went back to the stoic stone-faced expression that he brought with him from home.

 

The DI nodded and rubbed his chin slowly “I’ll have to meet this brother of yours one day, Richie Rich… He taught you well, could teach some of my other recruits how to handle their guns and their other _guns_ …” The DI stated with an eye roll before he headed back to the shelter of the shady tent and lifted a clipboard full of papers “Alright, everyone head back to the ‘racks, clean up, get ready for Family Day and Graduation – You boys are no longer under my direct command!” The DI instructed, his tone firm and loud over the breeze that was hastily picking up.

 

All five recruits snapped a sharp salute – the DI returned it moments later – and then they all broke formation and began a quick run back to their barracks – which was over five miles away.  Tony was the first to the barracks, as per his usual, and everyone clapped him on the back as they went through the front door that he was holding open – they were all now thoroughly drenched in sweat, mud, and rainwater from the skies having opened up but neither of them cared as they walked toward the communal showers, laughing the entire way as they talked about the adventurous thirteen weeks that they all shared together.

 

After they were cleaned up and back in the rack room, cleaning up their areas. The lead DI and his cronies come into the room, everyone dropped what they were doing and stood at the end of their bunks on either side of the dull green covered beds that were all made neatly “Alright ladies!  It’s time for MOS orders. So, when I call your name, haul ass, grab your papers and back to your rack!” the lead DI shouted into the cavernous room, his voice booming off the walls.

 

The drill instructor went through the long list of names of the thirty odd guys that were all standing in the barracks; starting with the last name letter of A – Tony hated not having the last name DiNozzo, at least for this part of roll-call, it always seemed to take forever and made him feel like he was being picked last for dodgeball – something that almost always happened when he was younger.  When Tony’s last name was finally called, he made haste to go to the DI, take his MOS orders and head back to his rack, not once looking at the sheaf of paper as he resumed his at-attention stance like everyone else in the room had done so.

 

When the Drill Instructors left the room, Tony made his way to his rack and sat on the edge of it as he placed his MOS orders in his lap and began reading through it; Gregory leaned over the edge of the bunk and looked down at Tony “So, what’d you get man?  Bet you’ll be headed to extended sniper training after this.” Gregory questioned as he rolled off his bunk and dropped to sit down on the bed next to Tony.

 

Tony shook his head and smiled “Nope.  I’ll be staying right here on Parris Island after graduation… Got 5811.” Tony replied happily as he kicked his buddy off his bed, laid back on the flimsy mattress and linked his hands behind his head, staring up at the metal rods above his head and smiling just a bit wider.

 

Gregory leaned on the rail of his own bunk and looked down at his buddy “Military police?  Really man?  You could do so much more with the bag of talents you brought here…” Gregory said, slightly affronted by his friends poor choice in MOS.

 

Tony shrugged nonchalantly as he rolled from one side to the other, stretching out his sore back “It’s what I wanted to do, and if at any point I want to expound on my talents, I can… Everyone has seen what I can do, there isn’t a doubt in my mind if I wanted to go to sniper school, they’d let me… It’s simple and not at all a bad thing, as you try to point out – Now, I would like to get some sleep, so if you don’t mind…” Tony stated as he grabbed his folded up sheet from under his pillow, unfolded it and fanned it out over top of his body before turning onto his stomach and laying his head down, holding onto the picture of Kate that he kept underneath said pillow.

 

* * *

 

 

Kate sighed as she twisted the graduation program in her hands nervously; every family member east of the Mississippi who had a recruit graduating today was there. Kate easily found Tony’s name amongst the over five-hundred names listed below, PFC Thomas, T. J.  Kate smiled proudly as she pointed at it and looked up at Jethro who was sitting beside her and scanning the entire base ceremonial grounds, reliving and reveling in the weeks he had also spent here, a long time ago.

 

Kate tugged Jethro’s sleeve and he looked down to see what she was pointing at “Wow… He shot up in the ranks quick… Must have made a hell of an impression… Platoon Honor Graduate too…” Jethro said, smiling proudly as he scanned the area again “Damn proud…” Jethro whispered as he squeezed Kate’s hand lightly and smiled.

 

When the sound of a trumpet blared over the speakers spread throughout the ceremonial grounds, everyone stood up eagerly, except Kate who, with Jethro’s help, had to stand up slowly – she may have only been eighteen weeks pregnant, but the day before she had spent most of her time in the bathroom and the other half in bed; her body was considerably weaker and standing up with the added weight of two growing babies was not doing her any favors at the moment.

 

Jethro made sure to keep a steady arm around Kate’s waist and one hand over his eyes as he scanned, yet again, the grounds.  The tell-tale sound of hundreds of feet started pounding on the concrete and the gathered crowd erupted in applause, whistles, and cheers, as the five-hundred marine recruits marched out onto the grounds with their platoons.  Jethro scanned the faces and numbers of each platoon and then pointed when he saw ‘2004’ and Tony standing near to the back of the pack “There he is, can you see him, Kate?” Jethro asked, looking down at Kate who was struggling just to stand up.

 

Kate breathed out heavily and shook her head as she wobbled slightly; Ducky immediately stepped in from the other side of her “Let’s sit back down, the ceremony is about to begin and they will tell us to be seated anyhow.” Ducky intoned gently as he and Jethro together carefully lowered Kate back onto the metal bleachers; Ducky carefully wiped the perspiration off of Kate’s forehead with his handkerchief and then looked down the bleachers at Abby and Tim who were sitting side by side beside Jethro and bickering quietly “Jethro, do something with those two while I attend to Kate…” Ducky ordered lightly as he pulled out a handheld black kit and unzipped it.

 

Kate laid her head on Ducky’s shoulder, her breathing was uneven and slightly labored “Ducky…” she wheezed, but he interrupted “Now, now… Just take steady and slow breaths, Caitlin.” Ducky stated as he shook the inhaler he had in the bag and then held it to Kate’s mouth, allowing her to take a puff on the inhaler before withdrawing the nozzle from between her lips; they repeated the process a few times before Kate’s breathing returned to normal “All better now?” Ducky asked as he gently brushed the sweat-soaked brown locks from Kate’s forehead.

 

Kate nodded as she lifted up from Ducky’s shoulder “Yeah… Yeah, I think so…” Kate whispered tiredly as she rubbed her abdomen and eyes at the same time, trying to dispense with the sudden grittiness from the tears that had started forming in her eyes; they had already missed the first three parts of the ceremony with her asthmatic episode and they were preparing to hand out whatever it was they handed out to the graduating recruits; Kate’s mind was a million miles away now as she stared blankly at the ceremony grounds.

 

Only just recently had she been getting so short of breath, that when they went to see Doctor Eustis about it, only a week after her first check-up, the doctor was understanding and knew exactly what the problem was with just a few minutes of listening to Kate’s lungs with a stethoscope – she had developed asthma that would likely last throughout the remainder of her pregnancy, they had prescribed pregnancy-safe prednisone and an inhaler for whenever it became too difficult to breathe; Eustis’ hopes were to put an end to the asthma before Kate delivered or they would end up having to perform a C-Section and Kate, while frightened on the aspect of natural childbirth wanted it no other way; call it her stubborn old Catholic school-girl ways, but she wanted to know what it felt like to bring her children into the world the way God had intended.

 

It wasn’t until after the ceremony that Kate really started feeling more like herself again; the nausea that had been rolling in her stomach had finally ebbed away but she still felt unsteady and the entire family remained seated as they waited for everyone else to disperse and clear the bleachers “Kate… Someone is here to see you.” Jethro whispered, nudging Kate lightly on the side and then flicking his head upward.

 

Tony stood at the bottom of the bleachers, one foot poised on the riser and the other on the concrete as his eyes roved over his girlfriend's body; he could immediately tell there was something different about her, the way her skin glowed and her hair had grown longer and more luscious, her body was fuller in more than just her chest but she still looked as stunningly beautiful as she did the day they met, and then ‘re-met’ as their teenage selves.

 

Kate looked up and smiled tentatively at Tony, she slowly stood up and watched with rapt fascination as Tony’s eyes grew wide when they settled on her semi-rounded belly underneath the red sundress she was wearing.  Tony took the risers two at a time until he was standing right in front of Kate, and she gasped when he was standing that close to her – the thirteen weeks that he had been gone had done something absolutely magical to his body, the muscles he had before were nearly doubled in size, his jaw was more defined, and while there was a hardness to his physical features, his face remained soft and open to her.

 

Kate reached down and slowly lowered herself to be standing toe-to-toe with Tony, her fingers lightly tracing the contours of his jaw and cheeks “You’ve grown…” Kate whispered, her tone reflecting the awe she felt as she slowly ran her hands over his bulging biceps and shoulders and down to his hands – they were still the same size but were now rough with calluses and all of the hard work he put them through.

 

Tony chuckled as he reached up one hand and cupped the side of Kate’s face, the other hand settled on the side of her swollen abdomen “So have you.” He replied cheekily, grinning as he bent his head and kissed Kate with every ounce of passion, desire, and longing he felt coursing through his body.

 

Kate sighed into Tony’s mouth and pulled away slowly, resting her forehead against his “Yeah… Yeah, being pregnant does do that to a woman… Or at least so I’ve heard.” Kate replied sarcastically as she looked up at Tony and grinned, a twinkle in her eyes that had been so far absent since he left thirteen weeks ago.

 

Tony nodded as he set both of his hands on either side of Kate’s pregnant stomach, his thumbs rubbing slow circles over the smoothness of her skin and the silkiness of her sundress “Pregnancy looks absolutely beautiful on you, Caitlin.” Tony whispered as he slowly got down on one knee, and pressed his lips to her stomach – not caring that the entire universe was there to watch him be so openly affectionate.

 

Kate set her hands on either side of Tony’s head, not disturbing the crisp white hat that rested there and smiled happily when she saw the flash of the digital camera going off from Jethro’s direction – she had to absolutely agree with his assessment, this was a picture worth capturing a thousand times over.  Kate looked down at the top of Tony’s head, lightly rubbing her thumbs over the short hairs above his ears, she was starting to feel the exhaustion of the day creep back up on her, both Ducky and Jethro noticed it and Jethro cleared his throat “We should probably head out – traffic is going to be a b-…” Jethro paused and looked down at Tim and Abby before continuing “crazy trying to get out of here when everyone starts leaving.” He amended as he swung Abby up from the bleachers and positioned the five-year-old onto his back.

 

Tony slowly stood back up, brushing off his kneecap and smiled as he kissed Kate softly on the lips “I’m more than ready to go home…” Tony said, his eyes never leaving Kate’s as he took her hand in his and began helping her down the bleachers with careful guidance.

 

When they were firmly on solid ground, Kate wrapped her arms around Tony’s neck and buried her face against his chest, she took several deep breaths and smiled “I love you, Tony.” Kate whispered as she tilted her head back and brought his head down to hers, kissing him with the same love and affection that he had kissed her earlier with.

 

Tony held onto the small of Kate’s back, interlocking his fingers there as he breathed through his nose deeply, not wanting to sever the connection with her as their tongues tangled together in their delicate way – never did they go for the full-on make-out session, they only ever really enjoyed just caressing one another’s tongues and reveling in the silky smoothness.  Tony eventually had to pull back though when he felt Kate shudder, he grinned and kissed the tip of her nose “I’ve got ten days…” Tony whispered as he wrapped his arm securely around Kate’s waist as they started toward the exit of the ceremonial grounds.

 

Kate nodded as she held onto Tony’s hand resting on her hip “Ten days before what though?  I know you have ten days leave, but where are you heading next?” Kate asked curiously as they started walking towards Jethro’s SUV.

 

Tony sighed as he helped Kate into the backseat of the SUV and then slid in next to her while Jethro and Ducky got Tim and Abby settled into their booster seats in the third row, “I’ll be heading to Missouri for two months… That’s where the Military Police training academy is located.” Tony said quietly as he laid his head back on the headrest of the second row and turned to look at Kate, every inch of his face showing the regret he felt at having to leave again so soon after reconnecting with her.

 

Kate reached up and cupped Tony’s jaw lightly in her palm “I’ll only be six and a half months by the time you return… You won’t miss much, I promise… Jethro has been taking pictures left right and center, all so you can see the progress I have been making… He won’t stop until the babies are born.” Kate whispered as she leaned in and kissed Tony lightly on the lips.

 

Tony immediately reared back, thunking his head on the top of the SUV, his white hat falling off and landing in his lap – he had completely forgotten that it was even there, his excitement over being with Kate again overwhelming everything he had learned.  Tony moved his cover over to the center console and stared at Kate “You said babies… as in multiples… as in more than one… As in how many exactly?” Tony asked, fumbling for words as his hand settled on Kate’s stomach again, trying to comprehend how they could be having more than one child, how Kate’s stomach was right now carrying multiple children.

 

Kate laughed as she pulled Tony’s head back up to meet her gaze “As in we’re only having two babies… A boy and a girl…” Kate said as she smiled lightly at Tony, rubbing her thumb across his well-defined cheekbone in a soothing manner.

 

Tony breathed out slowly through his nose “Two babies…” he whispered, his eyes returning to the mound of sinfully beautiful flesh that was holding their two unborn children “Two…” his tone was so reflective of awe that it made tears spring to Kate’s eyes almost immediately “Wow… I… Wow.” Tony said as he looked up at Kate and then brought her closer, kissing her deeply and passionately, his hand intently stroking the mound of her pregnant stomach “I love you… All three of you…” Tony stated as he kissed Kate on the nose and then bent his head and kissed her stomach twice “I’m going to be your daddy… Sometimes, you’ll probably hate me… but other times, you’re bound to love the heck out of me – At least that’s how your momma does it… Loves me and hates me all in the same day… But believe me, I’ll always be there, no matter what.” Tony said to his unborn children, smiling broadly as he sat back up in the seat and pulled Kate close to him; he couldn’t imagine a better way to end an amazing day.


	7. Chapter 7

Tony smiled as he watched the morning sunlight bathe Kate’s blissfully naked body, making her already glowing skin glow just that much more – he’d only been home for two days now, and every morning he has woken up to the same beautiful picture; Kate lying on her side, wrapped up around a pillow, her pregnant mound resting protectively on top of the pillow and her long brown hair cascading over her shoulders and down her back – nothing could be more perfect than waking up to that picture of beauty, except perhaps a large cup of coffee, which he could smell brewing away in the kitchen.

 

Tony slowly shimmied down the bed, coming eye-level with his two unborn children; he set his hand on the side of Kate’s stomach and leaned in, kissing the soft smooth flesh with two tender kisses “Good morning, my beautiful girl and handsome boy… I hope you gave mommy plenty of sleep last night.” Tony whispered against Kate’s belly button “You behave today and perhaps daddy will bring you a treat but don’t tell Mommy, I want it to be a surprise.” Tony added as he laid his forehead on the upper curve of Kate’s abdomen and smiled as he gently massaged across Kate’s stomach.

 

Kate sighed contentedly as she opened her eyes and looked down at Tony, a soft smile curving the corners of her mouth “Good morning.” Kate murmured as she ran her manicured nails over the top of Tony’s head lightly.

 

Tony groaned as Kate continued massaging his head “Morning.” He muttered sleepily as he began trailing slow kisses up from Kate’s stomach until he was level with her lips, he nibbled softly on her bottom lip before sealing his own over hers and kissing her deeply and passionately.

 

Kate scratched her nails down the center of Tony’s smooth but muscular chest as she pulled back and rested her forehead against his cheek “You gonna go get a cup of coffee?” Kate asked softly as she rubbed her hand across Tony’s pectoral muscles slowly, reveling in the feeling of straining muscles underneath his warm skin.

 

Tony nodded as he ran his hand over the smooth expanse of Kate’s abdomen “Mhmmm, just as soon as I stop loving you.” Tony whispered sleepily as he nuzzled his nose into Kate’s hair and yawned loudly.

 

Kate laughed softly as she kissed Tony’s chest and curled around him “Then I guess you’ll never be going to get it, huh?” Kate asked as she looked up at Tony from underneath her thick black lashes as she curled her fist against Tony’s chest.

 

Tony shook his head “Nah, I’ll get it… But I won’t stop loving you.” Tony said as he kissed the top of Kate’s head before he slowly rolled first to his back and then out of the bed once he knew that Kate was securely wrapped around her hugging-pillow again.  Tony found his boxers that had been haphazardly thrown off last night and slid them up to his trim waist “Be back in a few minutes.” Tony said as he scratched his bare stomach before trotting out of the bedroom and across to the kitchen.

 

Jethro smirked as he watched Tony head to the super-strength coffee pot, grabbing the large mug beside it and pouring the piping hot liquid into the USMC mug “Morning!” Jethro said in the most annoyingly chipper tone he could muster for only being awake for a few minutes himself.

 

Tony grunted an incoherent sentence while he swallowed down half of the coffee in his cup before refilling it and moving to sit at the kitchen table, his eyes flicking to his and Kate’s half of the house briefly – he knew she was already back to sleep and wouldn’t wake up for another few hours. “Why are you so chipper?” Tony grumbled as he stared at his older brother.

 

Jethro laughed as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his ankles and pulling his own coffee mug closer “I’m not… Just figured you weren’t awake enough to have someone squeaking in your ear like that, wanted to see how you would react.” Jethro said with an unrepentant grin as he sipped his coffee slowly and quirked an eyebrow up at Tony.

 

Tony groaned as he dropped his head to the rim of his coffee mug “I ain’t awake at all…” Tony mumbled as he lifted his head just enough to sip the piping hot liquid that had started making his forehead sweat from its radiating heat “I think my leg got more sleep than I ever did last night… Kate was all over the place… Leg was numb for the past five hours because of her sleeping on it.” Tony grumped as he leaned back and assumed the same position that his brother was sitting in, holding the hot coffee mug on his bare stomach.

 

Jethro chuckled as he stood up and stretched tiredly, a jaw-cracking yawn following “Mmm, I remember sleepless nights when laying next to your pregnant wife… It’s not a pleasant experience but it’s also something you wouldn’t change for the world, huh?” Jethro asked as he squeezed Tony’s shoulder on his way by to refill his coffee mug and start a fresh pot.

 

Tony chuckled softly, feeling a bit more awake as the caffeine coursed through his system “Nope.  I wouldn’t change it for anything.” Tony said resolutely as he stood up and stretched his arms high over his head and yawning before he collected his coffee cup and turning slightly “Gonna head back in there now… Maybe I can convince her to wake up for a little while.” Tony said with a sly grin as he sauntered across the rooms and back into his and Kate’s bedroom.

 

Kate was sprawled on her back now, right in the center of the bed, the sheet had disentangled from the bed and was wrapped around just her feet.  Tony shook his head as he set his coffee mug on the dresser at the end of the bed, he shucked his boxers again and then crawled onto the bed very carefully, pressing soft little kisses up from each of Kate’s ankles until he was hovering right over his own personal prize of Kate’s beautifully trimmed crotch, only a small patch of brown hair curling delicately above her hidden depths.

 

Tony laid on his stomach between Kate’s spread legs, gently hooking one of her legs over his shoulders as he leaned forward and nuzzled his nose against the soft curls before bestowing gentle kisses along her closed pussy lips, grinning when he heard a soft and sleepy moan escape Kate’s mouth.  Tony poked his tongue out and separated Kate’s folds delicately with the tip of it, swirling his tongue around in lazy sweeps along her clitoris and opening, grinning wider when more moans escaped Kate’s mouth and her hips jerked upward, seeking more of the pleasurable sensation that Tony was eliciting.

 

Kate kept her eyes closed as she set her hands on her swollen breasts, squeezing lightly as her hips rotated against Tony’s questing tongue “Tony…” Kate gasped loudly, her hips yet again bucking upwards as Tony’s tongue flicked rapidly over her clit a few times.

 

Tony set his arm over Kate’s hips, holding her down to the mattress as he swirled his tongue rapidly and tightly around the bundle of nerves at her core; she squirmed and moaned helplessly against him, her one hand reaching down to press against his head, fingers clawing at the top of his scalp.  Tony slid his free hand between Kate’s legs, his fingers circling her tight hole before plunging in slowly, his lips suctioning and pulling on Kate’s clit, his eyes closed as her juices spilled into his mouth with each passing second.

 

Kate moaned loudly, pressing the flats of her feet against both of Tony’s shoulders as she rose her hips as high as she could with Tony’s arm holding her down “Tony!  Oh god!” Kate cried, her fist clenching down on the barely there hairs of her boyfriend’s head, nails scraping against his smooth scalp “Oh fuck… Fuck!” Kate cried louder as her entire body began quivering with the impending orgasm that was building in the pit of her stomach.

 

Tony smirked as he swirled his tongue in a tight circle before prodding viciously at her outer pleasure center with the tip of his tongue, his fingers working rapidly inside of her tight heat, his middle finger easily gliding over her inner pleasure center and pressing into it causing Kate to cry out and moan louder, the tips of her toes scraping his back and both of her hands now holding the top of his head, pushing him further against her wet heat “Tonyyyyy!” Kate screamed as her body shook with the power of her orgasm as it washed over her, crashing down like the distant waves they could hear through the open bedroom window.

 

Tony slowly licked Kate’s wetness, clearing away her juices and humming appreciatively as he did so – Kate was above him, panting like crazy and squeezing her swollen breasts again.  Tony smirked as he slowly withdrew his fingers from inside of her body and then licked those clean as well before he started a trail of slow kisses up over her pregnant mound, across her chest and up to her lips.

 

Kate eagerly set her hands on both sides of Tony’s head, kissing him for all she was worth, her tongue lapping at her own juices that still remained on his lips and inside of his mouth; Tony moaned into the kiss, his cock incessantly pushing against her pregnant stomach, “Kate…” he gasped, pulling his mouth away from hers and resting his forehead on the curve of her delicate nose.

 

Kate nodded as she rubbed her feet softly against the curve of his hips “Tony, please… Please, it’s… it’s been too long… I _really_ need you.” Kate pleaded, her tone breathless and full of the want and desire that she held for the man above her – no longer a teenager or boy, he was all man with his sinfully bulging muscles and chiseled features.

 

Tony groaned as he positioned himself between Kate’s thighs again, the head of his engorged cock almost immediately – and of its own volition – seeking out her heat and rubbing against her slick folds “I… I can do… that…” Tony muttered as he shuddered above Kate as her fingers brushed teasingly over his still highly sensitive nipples, his hips faltering as he thrust forward against her heat, cock slipping and sliding against her soaked core.

 

Kate moaned softly, biting her bottom lip as the head of Tony’s cock brushed over her clit “Tony…” she gasped, her back arching slightly as she moved one hand away from his chest and between her own legs, she grabbed onto his aching hardness and positioned him at her opening “Please…” she whispered, opening her eyes and staring up at him.

 

Tony pushed himself forward slowly, carefully breaching Kate’s tight under-used opening and groaned loudly as the all-encompassing heat surrounded his swollen cock “Jeeezussss” Tony hissed as he fisted the sheets next to Kate’s head in his hand; he was barely halfway inside of Kate’s body and didn’t think he’d get much farther without completely falling apart or hurting Kate – he had heard her initial hiss of pain and saw her face contorting with it as well.

 

Kate arched her chest up against Tony’s chest, wincing as his cock pushed past the resistance in her lower regions “Fuck…” she breathed, eyes clenched tightly shut and fingers curled into her palms against his shoulders “I… I can’t… Tony… I have… have to be… on top…” Kate said, her voice breaking and cracking with an emotional uprising that Tony had never heard before in her tone.

 

Tony slowly pulled out and shifted carefully onto his back, bringing Kate with him and making sure she was stable against him so she wouldn’t hurt herself or their unborn children.  Kate straddled Tony’s waist and inhaled deeply but shakily a few times before she reached behind herself and grabbed Tony’s cock again, she carefully guided herself onto it, still only able to take half of his length before the pain started growing unbearable again; she stilled on top of him and rolled her hips to try and slowly ease the rest of him inside of her heat.

 

Tony grit his teeth, head tossed back and hands resting lightly on Kate’s thighs as she worked herself on top of him “Fuck, Kate...” Tony hissed as she was _finally_ able to sink all the way down to the base of his cock, her entire body shuddering above him as her inner walls contracted around his length.

 

Kate shook her head and let out a shaky sob as she pulled off of Tony again, quickly rolled out of the bed and left the room – Tony dropped back and sighed miserably when he heard the bathroom door slam shut loudly; apparently their sex life would have to be put on hold – well, at least part of their sex lives, Tony mused to himself as he rolled off the bed and found his boxers again.

 

* * *

 

 

Kate inhaled deeply and shakily as she wrapped her arms around her bare chest, an unequivocal ache in both the pit of her stomach and her nether regions; she had so badly wanted him, to be with him in ways she hadn’t for the past thirteen weeks, but her body had unfortunately betrayed her, leaving her bereft and empty of the love she knew he would have shown so passionately in the course of their lovemaking.

 

Kate thumped her head against the bathroom door, she could hear Tony pacing worriedly outside of it and she didn’t know how to explain, how to put into words what she was feeling, how she was feeling.  Kate pushed away from the door and slowly opened it, she grabbed Tony’s hand when he stopped in front of the door and pulled him inside, she pushed him to sit on the closed toilet seat and set her hands on his shoulders, looking down into his eyes with her own sense of sadness, the same that was reflecting in his green eyes as he looked up at her.

 

Tony inhaled deeply “Kate I…” but she shook her head and placed her finger on his full lips “Let me talk… You just listen.” Kate whispered as she carefully moved to straddle his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and rubbing the back of his head “I love you, Anthony.   More than life itself, more than I could have ever imagined…” Kate started off, taking a deep breath as she pressed a kiss to the side of his nose “I don’t know why… I can’t explain it… but… it hurts… so much to have you inside of me…” Kate whispered sadly, resting her head against his shoulder as another shaky breath leaves her mouth and ghosts across his bare shoulder.

 

Tony wrapped his arms around Kate’s back and held her close, running his fingers lightly up her spine and then back down “Kate, baby… listen and look at me.” Tony requested quietly as he set his hand on the back of her head and lightly pulled it back so that they were looking at one another “I don’t care if I can’t have sex with you… That’s _not_ why I fell in love with you, and certainly not why I still love you to this day.” Tony said as he stared right into Kate’s brown eyes, he pulled her close, kissing her softly on the lips before pulling his head back again “There is plenty of other ways we can express our love to one another that does not involve painful penetration… Maybe…” Tony shrugged as he rubbed his hands down her back lightly again “Maybe it’s better this way… for both of us… I won’t be here for much longer and I don’t want to cause you an ounce of pain, Kate.” Tony said sincerely as he held onto her bare hips with his large palms, conveying that he honestly felt that he could do anything with her that she wanted without repercussion.

 

Kate sighed as she leaned forward and kissed Tony sweetly, her brown hair cascading over her shoulders and tickling his chest “Think that’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.” Kate whispered as she lightly rubbed his shoulders and down his chest lightly.

 

Tony shook his head as he stood up carefully with Kate in his arms, he toed the bathroom door open and then carried her back into the bedroom, gently laying her down and pulling the sheet back over her body “Go back to sleep, Kate… You still look so tired.” Tony whispered as he kissed her gently, tucking a lock of stray brown hair behind her ear tenderly “I’m going to go for a run…” Tony decided as he stood up and headed to the dresser where his cold cup of coffee had been abandoned, he picked it up and shrugged as he downed the bitter cold liquid and then rifled through the top drawer, pulling out a pair of running shorts and socks.

 

Kate smiled as she watched Tony dressing in the shorts and socks, then yawned loudly into the bend of her elbow as she turned fully onto her side, curling her body around the pillow she had been substituting Tony’s absent body with the past thirteen weeks – although now it was a great tool for belly support when she wasn’t curved around the massive bulk of muscle that made up Tony’s body.

 

Tony kissed the back of Kate’s head and smoothed her hair down “Sleep, beautiful.” Tony murmured before he flicked off the bedroom light and pulled the door shut as he left the room, searching for his running shoes in their little living room.

 

Tony slid his iPod strap up his bare bicep, slid his headphones into his ears and then jumped off the front porch, running down the slightly graveled front driveway until his feet hit the pavement of the street, he glanced both directions before deciding to turn left and head toward the beach that surrounded the medium-sized island that they lived on; running on the uneven sand would be better, push him harder, force his focus to watch his feet rather than think about all that has changed in his life in such a short period of time.

 

As Tony’s feet pounded down the sand beneath his shoes, he stared headlong at the stretch of beach and sand – other morning runners doing exactly as he was, tuning out the world and enjoying the blissful summer morning before it got too uncomfortable and hot to even want to be outside, and if you had to be, you were damn sure going to be in the beautiful ocean.  Halfway through his run, Tony stopped and sank to his ass in the sand, staring out over the waves that crashed on the shoreline and the distant.  He sighed as he ran a hand over his sweaty face and then laid back in the sand as he stared at the clouds; he only had eight more days to spend time with Kate and everyone else at home but there was just one thing he absolutely wanted to do for his girlfriend that would hopefully brighten her mood and give her something to do and look forward to while he was away.

 

When Tony returned back to the house after running the six-point-nine mile stretch of beach three times, he was drenched in sweat and a little bit of misty rain as it started sprinkling while he ran up the driveway; he could hear the frustrated growl coming from the roof and then heard heavy boots clinking on the metal ladder.  As he leaned on the railing, Jethro came around the corner and then stomped angrily up the porch steps “Every damn time I try and finish the roof… It starts fucking raining!” Jethro growled, glaring at the rapidly darkening sky.

 

Tony chuckled as he rolled his neck slightly “Welcome to the south, Big brother.” Tony said cheekily as he stood straight and stretched his back backward, groaning when the muscles in his spine popped luxuriously and released the coiled tension from his run.

 

Jethro groaned as he laid his forehead on the banister “I’m tired of the south already… Whose idea was it to move here anyway?” Jethro asked, mostly rhetorically as he pulled off his work gloves and tossed them blindly behind his shoulder.

 

Tony shook his head and just laughed as he headed back to the house after finally getting control of his rapidly beating heart and gained more control of his erratic breathing; he had a very busy evening to plan for and wanted everything to be perfect for tonight, he didn’t want to disappoint Kate in any manner.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony stared admiringly at his artwork of the bathroom, living room, and the bedroom – Red and white candles lined the back of the large whirlpool tub, the water was steamy and waiting for them; it wasn’t too hot, having gotten minor information from Ducky about what was safe and unsafe during Kate’s pregnancy before he started planning for his romantic night with his girlfriend – and hopefully soon, fiancee.

 

There were red, white, and pink rose petals that were scattered on the hardwood floors of the living room, one trail leading to the candlelit bathroom and one trail leading to the dimly lit bedroom; since they ‘legally’ couldn’t drink alcohol, and she was pregnant anyway, Tony had opted for an alcohol-free red wine that he hoped Kate would appreciate since that had been her alcoholic beverage of choice prior to them becoming teenagers again.

 

Tony smiled as he heard the porch door creak open, he quickly made his way to the door and stopped Kate from entering any further “Hi!” Tony said happily as he wrapped his arms around Kate’s waist and spun her so she couldn’t see the surprise he had waiting for her.

 

Kate laughed as she held onto Tony’s shirt “Well hello.” Kate said quietly as she tried to turn her head but Tony held her head in his hands and shook his own head “Tony, what are you doing?” Kate asked, seeing the mischevious little twinkle lurking in the depths of his green eyes in the dimly lit living room.

 

Tony shrugged as he smiled and kissed Kate lightly on the lips “I want to have a nice, quiet evening with you… Pamper you, spoil you… Do you trust me?” Tony asked as he reached into the back pocket of his cargo shorts and produced a red silk scarf – it belonged to Kate but it would still work for what he intended on using it for.

 

Kate inhaled deeply and nodded as she lowered her hands from Tony’s chest “I do trust you, with everything.” Kate whispered as she closed her eyes and allowed Tony to lightly wrap the red scarf around her eyes, effectively blocking out all of her sights.

 

Tony set his hands on Kate’s shoulders and lightly turned her around before guiding her into the bathroom; Kate inhaled deeply as the aroma of cinnamon and vanilla swirled deliciously in the air “What?  Have you been baking cinnamon rolls in the bathroom?” Kate asked curiously as she tried reaching up to remove the blindfold.

 

Tony slapped Kate’s hands away lightly “Don’t.” Tony warned sternly as he positioned her in the middle of their obscenely large bathroom – two sinks, a whirlpool tub, a glass-enclosed shower, and toilet, but it was still one of the larger bathrooms in the house, _almost_ rivaling Ducky and Jethro’s bathroom.  “Just stay right there,” Tony said as he moved to stand in front of Kate and began unbuttoning her blouse, letting the thin fabric fall from her shoulders, he carefully dropped it into the hamper and then unbuttoned her maternity jeans, he got down onto one knee as he carefully peeled the denim down her legs, slipped her flip-flops off one foot at a time and then pulled the jeans off the same way, dropping the jeans in the hamper and the flip-flops he carelessly tossed into the living room.

 

Tony then carefully pulled Kate’s panties down, smirking at the wetness that clung to the center of her panties – she was already aroused and tonight wasn’t even about seduction.  Tony leaned forward and pressed a featherlight kiss on Kate’s pregnant mound before he stood up and moved to stand behind her again.  Tony popped the clasp of Kate’s bra and she shuddered when his fingers lightly skimmed over her spine, Tony stood behind Kate, his erection proudly bobbing in the air as he wrapped his arm around her middle and pressed featherlight kisses up the curve of her neck and shoulder “I love you.” Tony whispered simply when he got to Kate’s ear.

 

Kate whimpered as she laid her head back against Tony’s shoulder, setting her own hands on top of Tony’s against her pregnant stomach and lightly interlaced their fingers “I love you too.” Kate whispered as she rolled her head to the side, eyes closed lightly as she kissed Tony’s neck lightly; her senses were on overdrive already, given that she had been blindfolded for nearly ten minutes now with Tony’s extremely slow movements, she really didn’t know what to think about all of this, but was excited to find out what her boyfriend had in store for her.

 

Tony carefully ran his hands up to Kate’s hair, tangling in the brown curls before he grasped the knot of her blindfold and pulled the knot apart and let the scarf fall from her eyes; he set that on the sink counter and watched as Kate blinked her eyes open slowly and gasped at the absolutely romantic setting of the bathroom – Red, white, and pink rose petals were scattered everywhere on the floor and on the side of the tub, even some floating in the swirling water; red and white candles sat on every avaliable surface, illuminating the bathroom in a dull orange light “Oh Tony…” Kate sighed as she turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against his chest and sniffling.

 

Tony smiled into Kate’s hair and kissed the top of her head “Water’s going to get cold if we stand out here any longer.” Tony reminded her as he gently rubbed up and down her shoulders.

 

Kate nodded as she reluctantly pulled out of Tony’s strong embrace and turned to the tub; Tony stepped ahead of her and levered himself into the tub, he then held onto her hand and helped her over the high side and then he eased down into the water and helped Kate down, situating their bodies so she sat between his thighs and his back was pressed against the wall of the tub, a steady jet-stream of water pulsating at the middle of his spine which made him groan in pleasure as the pressure in his back started easing up.

 

Kate laid her head back against Tony’s broad chest, their fingers interlacing on the sides of the tub; Kate had two pressure jets that were lightly fluttering across her pregnancy mound, massaging into her tense muscles and slowly relaxing her body.  Tony smiled as he grabbed the washcloth off the side of the tub with one hand, he grabbed Kate’s favorite strawberries and cream body wash, pouring a glob onto the center of the cloth before he placed it against her chest and began lightly rubbing against her silky smooth and golden tanned skin – South Carolina summer sun definitely agreed with Kate’s fair complexion.

 

Kate sighed in content as Tony began lightly rubbing over her breasts, soaping them up thoroughly with thick suds, the strawberry/cream scent filling and mixing with the already cinnamon and vanilla scent in the air.  Kate moaned quietly as Tony squeezed her breast teasingly, his hand left one breast to begin tenderly washing the other “This is perfect.” Kate practically purred as Tony squeezed again and Kate arched into his touch.

 

Tony nodded against the side of Kate’s head as he slowly moved the washcloth down her stomach, soothingly rubbing against it and smiled when he could feel an answering flutter from deep within, then a second flutter “They’re moving.” Tony whispered in awe, he quickly reached to the jets on the tub and turned them all off and set both of his hands on the sides of Kate’s stomach, spreading his hands wide as he felt several hands and feet moving inside of their protective shield of Kate’s stomach and their amniotic sac “Really, _really_ moving!” Tony gasped as he traced every movement that his unborn children made inside of Kate’s stomach.

 

Kate nodded and tilted her head back “They’ve been moving for quite some time now… Just now starting to feel the stronger of their kicks on the outside.” Kate said quietly, sliding her own hand over her baby bump and smiling when a strong little foot connected instantly with her palm “Very strong kicks, mind you.” Kate said and winced when one of the two babies inside of her nailed her bladder.

 

Tony sighed happily as he recollected the washcloth and applied more body wash to it, he thoroughly scrubbed Kate from shoulder to the tops of her thighs – he couldn’t reach much further than that but with all the soap in the water, and the re-swirling of the jets, they would get clean anyway.  When Kate started getting drowsy against his chest, her weight growing heavier in her relaxed state of mind, Tony carefully pushed her into a seated position “Stay.” Tony said as he levered himself up out of the tub and found two of their largest towels, he wrapped one around his waist and set the other aside while he turned to Kate and helped her up off the tub floor and over the wall of it.

 

Tony wrapped Kate up in the burgundy red towel and then carefully pulled her damp brown hair back and tied it into a loose ponytail.  Tony then carefully swooped Kate up into his capable and strong arms, she looped one arm over his neck and kept the other on her abdomen; Tony smiled as he carried her out of the bathroom and down the trail of multi-colored roses.  Kate gasped when she saw the bedroom, the rose petals were _literally_ covering almost every inch of space in the room, on every surface.

 

Tony laid Kate down in the center of the bed and kissed her lightly “Don’t move from there.” Tony requested as he went over to the dresser, he pressed play on the radio sitting on top and then dug in the top drawer briefly, he withdrew a red velvet box and then made his way back to the bed, he crawled up Kate’s body until his hips encountered the mound of her pregnancy and she shifted backward, back pressed against the headboard; Tony followed her movements and smiled when he looked down into Kate’s glistening brown eyes, his hand tightly wrapped around and concealing the ring box he held in his closed fist.

 

Tony took a deep breath and let it out slowly “These past three years with you… Have been absolutely incredible.  Not a day goes by that I don’t think of you as the most beautiful woman on the entire planet, even at your worst – You are still so beautiful, so funny, so loving… I couldn’t imagine what life would be like if you weren’t with me, by my side – Always.” Tony said quietly as he moved his legs and kneeled beside Kate “I don’t want to know what life would be like, would feel like, would even look like if I did not have you there.  You are the one thing that brightens my entire day up, Caitlin, and I don’t want to waste another minute not knowing if…” Tony shook his head as he opened his palm and flicked the ring box open, a single solitaire diamond shining brightly from the red velvet holder “If you would do me the greatest honors, and becoming the woman of my dreams?  Caitlin Rose Todd-Muscovy, would you marry me?” Tony asked as he plucked the ring out of the box and held it close to Kate.

 

Kate was rendered completely speechless, tears now tracking down her cheeks as she looked from the ring to Tony’s face – there was such an openness to his features, the love was shining brightly in his eyes and with his smile.  Kate nodded and gasped for breath all at the same time, especially when Tony lightly took her right hand and slowly slid the diamond ring into place, it fit perfectly – she knew it would, Tony had been buying her all sorts of jewelry since almost the day they started dating “Tony…” Kate whispered in astonishment – the ring actually matched a set of diamond earrings and a solitaire necklace that Tony had gifted to her on their first Christmas together.

 

Tony grinned when he suddenly had his arms full of a happily crying Kate, he wrapped one arm around her and whispered sweet nothings against her ear, kissing the side of her face and lovingly rubbing the other side of her face with his free hand.  Kate gradually regained control of the _huge_ emotional dam that Tony had intentionally opened up and pulled back, staring up at him and smiling so deliriously wide that her jaw and cheeks were starting to ache with the pressure “I” kiss “love” kiss “you” double kiss “so much.” Kate muttered between kisses as she held Tony’s face in her hands.

 

Tony smiled as he lowered Kate onto the mattress and sprawled out beside her, his hand resting protectively against her hip, draped over their two unborn children “I love you too, so much.” Tony whispered as he brought himself closer to Kate and kissed her, deeply and slowly, his tongue tapping out a random pattern against her tongue as they moved against each other in a slow rhythm that almost matched the beat of the sultry jazz song that was playing mindlessly and practically unheard in the background.

 

Kate wrapped her hand around the large cock that was pressing incessantly against her thigh “Kate…” Tony moaned against her mouth, his hips involuntarily bucking into her hand, a drop of pre-cum splattering on her thigh when the head of his cock nudged into it.

 

Kate smiled as she slowly and teasingly stroked his cock from base to tip and over it, collecting the endless stream of glistening dribbles of pre-cum with her palm before smoothing her hand back down the underside of his cock, lubricating it with his own fluids “Shhhh.” Kate whispered as she slowly turned onto her hands and knees, releasing him for only a moment to get into that position, she then began lightly kissing down his smooth, hairless chest.

 

Tony hissed when Kate flicked her tongue over one of his nipples, it immediately perked up and his entire chest trembled with the stimulation “Kate.” Tony groaned helplessly as his fiancee swirled her tongue around the puckered skin of his dusky brown nipple, gently nibbling and sucking “Oh god…” Tony moaned, his head listing to one side and his fingers clenching the sheets beneath him.

 

Kate leaned over to Tony’s other nipple and gave it the same attention as the first before she slowly trailed down his smooth abdomen, her tongue flicking out and tracing over every prominent and well-defined muscle that sat there.  Tony’s six-pack quivered with each swipe of Kate’s tongue, his moans were loud and the words that he did try to speak were incoherent as he twisted his body and the sheets beneath him; he knew what was coming to him and he didn’t know how much longer he would last – he knew that the second, the _very_ second that Kate put her lips anywhere on his cock he would be gone, his world would shatter and he would be lying boneless and lifelessly on the bed.

 

Kate sucked tenderly on the soft pliable flesh just above Tony’s pelvic bone, earning another guttural moan from the man above her, spurring her on – she knew he wouldn’t last more than a few minutes, if not seconds; it had been thirteen weeks and almost three days since the last time he had any sort of sexual contact with his long-lost-rod – his patience and his inner-control was absolutely astounding but Kate could no longer let her man suffer the injustice of absolutely no release.   Kate shimmied down just a bit further, kneeling between Tony’s widely spread legs and smiled as she wrapped her hand around the base of Tony’s cock and gave it a firm squeeze, hoping to hold off his orgasm as long as she could.

 

Kate lowered her head to the tip of Tony’s cock and gave it a tentative swipe over the tip, collecting pre-cum on her tongue and humming appreciatively as the taste of Tony’s essence coated her tastebuds – his cock was constantly oozing the stuff and Kate smiled, knowing the only way to stem the flow was to just suck.  So with that, she lowered her head and swallowed just the tip into her mouth, she quickly set her hands on Tony’s hips, but it was no use, his strength was far superior to hers now and his hips shot up and he moaned loudly as his cock was engulfed in that tight wet heat of her mouth.

 

Kate hummed the Marine Corps hymn as she began swallowing down more of Tony’s length, copious amounts of pre-cum filling her cheeks as she swallowed the amount of his cock that she was capable of – only half-way from the tip to the base; Tony never complained, he loved that she even did this for him.  Tony set his hand on the back of Kate’s head, never pushing down but just lightly running his fingers through her hair – anything to take his mind off of the pulsing blood running through his brain and centering in his groin; Tony moaned and wriggled on the bed as Kate swirled her tongue around his cock, pulling up to the tip and then diving back down “Shit!  Kate… Kate… fuck… god, damn it to hell!” Tony shouted as his hips arched upward again.

 

Kate gagged slightly but didn’t stop as she pulled off and went back down, repeating the motion several times before reaching one hand down to Tony’s full and heavy balls, massaging and rolling them in her palm.  Tony cried out, his entire back arching off the bed as hot and heavy spurts of semen shot out of his cock and down Kate’s throat.  Kate smirked as she swallowed convulsively to take in Tony’s fluids, wanting nothing to go to waste as he emptied himself into her mouth “Jesus…” Tony breathed out as he collapsed breathlessly and weightlessly against the mattress, his cock was still throbbing, small amounts of semen oozing out of the tip and dribbling down the underside of his cock.

 

Kate watched as Tony’s fluids slid down in a glistening white stream and giggled as she ran the tip of her finger through it and brought it to her lips, only when Tony’s eyes popped open did she stick her finger into her mouth; sucking obscenely on her digit and smiling innocently as she did so.  Tony smiled when Kate crawled up the length of his body, her stomach brushing against his as she laid down next to him and wrapped her body around his body like a monkey.

 

Tony wrapped one arm around her back, set the other on her stomach and nuzzled into her strawberry scented hair “That… was… incredible.” Tony sighed out the words as he kissed Kate’s forehead and then turned her head up and kissed her deeply, tasting his own fluids on her lips and tongue.

 

Kate sighed as she laid her head on Tony’s shoulder and looked down at the engagement ring that now adorned her right hand “So was this.” Kate said as she turned her hand, flashing the diamond ring off and giggling.

 

Tony laughed as he trailed his fingers lightly up and down Kate’s spine, he yawned loudly and rolled his neck from one side to the other “You should sleep…” Kate murmured, letting out her own small yawn as she blindly reached down to the folded back sheets and brought them up and over their bodies.

 

Tony nodded as he kissed Kate one last time before thumping his head against his pillow, it puffed a shot of air into the space behind his head and he sighed contentedly as his body molded into the mattress “Night Kate.” Tony muttered before his entire body shut down and he was out like a light in just mere seconds, his orgasm having wiped the last of his energy reserve completely.

 

Kate smiled “Night Tony.” She whispered and then looked down at the engagement ring again, she could not have imagined a more romantic proposal; she had always thought that Tony would try and do something over-the-top, try to out-do the world in proposals, maybe tried to do a flash-mob in the middle of a crowded mall, or had all their friends and family gather in one spot conspicuously as he got down on one knee, but no – Tony had to go and be the most romantic guy in the world, shower her with love, affection, and most importantly attention, spend time building up to the big ‘climax’ so to speak, and ask her in the most quietest of tones, with the most beautiful words, to be his wife… to marry him, take his name and run with it… Kate couldn’t have been more happy with the way she got engaged to him, wouldn’t have traded it for the world.


	8. Chapter 8

Jethro smiled happily as he laid the last shingle on the roof over the nursery, nail-gunning the piece into place and standing up to admire the work he had done –the two-room extension on the house took close to two months to complete but he had wanted everything to be perfect; he still wasn’t finished with the inside but that was just a lot of minor work that could easily be done by Tony when he got home from Missouri – Painting the nursery for one, was something that Jethro would guide and help with, but he wanted Tony to do a majority of the work, for his children.

 

Jethro slid down the ladder and huffed out a tired breath as he stared up at the finished roof, he was satisfied with his work – the roof was perfect and held no leaks, he’d have to replace the roof of the main house eventually since it was older than the built on addition, and the two roofs had different colored shingles, but for now he was perfectly content with the work he had done – his next project included building a large part of the nursery furniture, two of everything… Jethro shook his head as he pulled off his thick work gloves, shaking off the shingling that clung to the material and then using the gloves to brush off the shingle gravel that was on his pant legs.

 

Jethro climbed the porch and smiled when he saw his lover and future sister-in-law sitting on the porch swing; Kate was absently rubbing her large six-month pregnant stomach and animatedly talking to Ducky about her recent ultrasound that showed her two little ones snuggly wrapped around each other – Tony and Kate’s son was larger than their daughter but Doctor Eustis didn’t think that either child would weigh over six pounds by the time they were born “…-She said I could go into labor earlier than we planned for, but at this point in my pregnancy I think I’d welcome them this very second.” Kate said as she smiled and looked up at Jethro as he took a seat on the other side of Ducky on the swing.

 

Jethro shook his head as he reached out and lightly rubbed the prominent curve of Kate’s pregnancy mound “Don’t wish for that Kate, keep them in there for as long as you possibly can…” Jethro said as he tapped the little foot that was kicking at his palm “Even though they feel like they’re trying to kick their way out of you right now.” Jethro said with a sympathetic wince of pain when Kate grit her teeth together and growled.

 

Kate groaned as she wrapped her hand around her stomach, effectively pushing Jethro’s hand out of the way – touching was becoming one of those things she absolutely despised in long increments of time, and while she loved her family; they were all too interested in touching her and it made every inch of her skin crawl, the only two people she ‘allowed’ to touch her was Abby and Tony – unfortunately Tony wasn’t there to do that though; the other person that _had_ to touch her was the doctor and Kate reluctantly allowed Doctor Eustis to do so but was always aggravated after her appointments “I think I need to go lay down…” Kate muttered as she tried hoisting herself up from the deep porch swing, finding that her sense of balance – as it had become so lately – would not allow for her to do more than just swing the chair back and forth even more.

 

Jethro and Ducky both stood up and stood on either side of Kate, they put a supportive hand on her back and then grabbed her hands, hoisting her up onto her feet “Three more months… just three more months…” Kate mumbled as she laid her forehead tiredly against Jethro’s shoulder for a few seconds as she tried getting her breathing back under control.

 

Jethro soothingly rubbed up and down Kate’s back and pulled her hair out of her face “You’ll get there, Kate… You’ve gone six months so far, three more is nothing.” Jethro said as he kissed the top of Kate’s head and then smiled at Ducky “Come on, let's get you laying down.” Jethro added as he wrapped an arm around Kate’s waist and gently guided her toward the other half of the house.

 

Kate reluctantly allowed Jethro to guide her into the bedroom, he laid her down gently and then peeled off her sneakers, slipping them underneath the bed; he then drew the blanket up over her body “I’ll wake you up in a few hours… You have a group session to go to tonight.” Jethro said as he patted the back of Kate’s head lightly before he headed back out of the room and pulled the door shut behind him.

 

* * *

 

 

Kate rubbed the foot pressing against her abdomen – her recent ultrasound showed that it was likely her little boy that was causing all the mischief inside of her; _Typical Tony-genes_ Kate thought with a snort as she rubbed her palm against the protruding foot and glanced around the café that she was waiting at for her friends to show up for their weekly scheduled girl-chat.  At first the weekly schedule had started out as older teen moms mentoring newly befallen teen moms as they made their way through pregnancy, but over the course of a few months, Kate had found a few of the older women to be exactly who she would have hung out with when she was older herself, and they all bonded very quickly.

 

Kate smiled when she saw her gaggle of giggling friends walk through the café door and make their way over to where Kate was sitting – Madison, the oldest at twenty had two children and was most like Kate in that she had twins; a boy and a girl.  Samantha and Sarah were the next two close friends of hers – they were actually twins themselves, and they were nineteen, they both fell pregnant with boys about a month apart from each other.  Her last close friend was Elizabeth, she was the closest to age with Kate at eighteen and one of the youngest mothers in the mentor program and had only just given birth to her daughter a few months ago.

 

Kate hugged her friends one-by-one as they passed her to sit at the table and they all sighed collectively when they sat down “Have you heard from Tony?” Madison asked as soon as she was seated and comfortable in her chair.

 

Kate nodded slowly, feeling the absence of Tony quickly creeping up on her at just the mention of his name “Yeah… He called me last night, stayed on the phone pretty early into the morning, even though he had to be awake at Five AM…” Kate said with a small smile as she rubbed her active stomach with the heel of her palm.

 

Samantha and Sarah both sighed, resting their chins on their arms in the opposite direction – making them look exactly like a mirror image, given that they were identical twins and pretty much dressed exactly alike. “I wish my boyfriend would call…” Samantha said wistfully – her boyfriend, like Tony, was also a Marine but he was deployed overseas and hardly had time to call.

 

Sarah squeezed her sister's hand sympathetically “He calls at some of the worse times, but at least he still calls you… My boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, rather… He doesn’t even call to see or speak with his son.” Sarah said with an eye roll and a frown as she thought about her two-year-old son.

 

Everyone was sympathetic to Sarah’s situation but none spoke of it after that, instead, they turned to Kate’s upcoming wedding “So, have you decided on a dress yet?  I mean, we all know you’re getting married _after_ the twins are born, but you still can look!” Madison asked happily.

 

Kate shook her head slowly “Haven’t thought of a specific dress yet but I do know that I don’t want a white dress… I want to be able to match Tony in his dress blues…” Kate said softly, a glow coming to her face as she thought of the perfect dream wedding – a dream that had been on a constant repeat ever since she saw Tony’s dress blues hanging up in the closet the day before he left for Missouri.

 

Everyone nodded softly “So have you decided who is going to be your maid or matron of honor and your bridesmaids?” Elizabeth asked as she looked at Kate and smiled softly.

 

Kate shrugged noncommittally “I’ve decided, yes… But I don’t want to hurt any of your feelings by asking one of you to be in the most important role of my wedding… It seems like such an insult!” Kate said, her tone edging on exasperated as she looked at all of her friends.

 

Madison shook her head and wrapped an arm around Kate’s shoulder “None of us would be insulted as to whom you’ve chosen to be your maid or matron, Kate, nor would we mind being a bridesmaid – Your wedding is about you, and as your three closest best friends, we all understand that this is a difficult decision that you have to make… We just want to be there for you and Tony when the day comes.” Madison said wisely as she squeezed both of Kate’s shoulders before releasing her.

 

Kate nodded and took a shaky breath, looking at all of her friends with a serious and contemplative look on her face; she had made her decision about who she wanted in her wedding, these four girls had clearly made the cut but telling them who she wanted where specifically? It was a difficult decision and she wasn’t fond of hurting people, even with their reassurances that they would be perfectly fine with who was where “I’ve decided that… I want… Madison to be my Maid of Honor.  And the rest of you, to of course be my bridesmaids.” Kate finally said, her voice quiet, barely heard over the din of the café.

 

Everyone actually seemed happy about it, Kate noticed, as she looked around her small group of friends – it was as if they expected Madison to be the maid of honor “You guys knew that I would choose this?!” Kate hissed, appalled that her friends seemed to know her inner workings so well, especially right now while her brain was a jumbled mess of emotions and thoughts.

 

Madison nodded and hugged her friend “Of course we did, Kate.  It’s no surprise that you connect with me on a deeper level than everyone else, and while you love these three to the moon and back, I’m the oldest and you have…” Madison shrugged as she looked at Kate “Your soul is older than your physical age, which is why we can be as close as we are.” Madison said quietly and released Kate again as the four girls stood up from the table.

 

Kate nodded as she held one hand under her protruding belly and the other at the small of her back “Right… It makes sense, I guess.” Kate whispered, feeling suddenly very tired and out-of-sorts; she was tired of being tired, tired of being pregnant, and she was definitely tired of being a seventeen-year-old in a thirty-three-year-old’s brain.

 

* * *

 

 

Kate sighed as she relaxed in the whirlpool tub, a few candles were lit up and a soft jazz CD was playing in the background, she sipped the alcohol-free red wine that Tony had sent to her a few days ago and smiled as she thought about the night he had proposed while looking at the glittering engagement ring that had not once left her finger since it was placed there.

 

Abby came running into the bathroom a few seconds later and plopped herself on the closed toilet seat “Hi Kate!” Abby said chipperly as she looked at the brown-haired woman in the tub.

 

Kate frowned “Hey Abby Girl, Whatcha doing?” Kate asked tiredly as she looked over at Abby and smiled lightly – Abby was dressed in a pair of black pajamas already, which clearly meant she was supposed to be getting ready for bed but had escaped Jethro’s clutches and was now in hiding.

 

Abby shrugged “Hiding from daddy… They wanna put me to bed and I’m not tired yet!” Abby exclaimed as she shook her head of black vigorously, confirming Kate’s thoughts immediately.

 

Kate snorted out a small laugh as she heard Jethro shouting from upstairs in the main house, looking for Abby “You’re going to be in trouble if he catches you in here, you know… You should really just go back upstairs and get ready for bed like your daddy wants you too.” Kate said as she sat up in the tub and tweaked Abby’s nose lightly.

 

Abby shook her head as she stood up and sat on the edge of the tub “Can you come and tuck me in?  I want a really good bedtime story… And while Ducky has great stories, they aren’t the best for bedtime… and Daddy he just…” Abby made a face and frowned heavily.

 

Kate laughed as she kissed the top of Abby’s head lightly “Sure thing, Kiddo… But you still have to go get your daddy… I won’t be able to get out of the tub otherwise.” Kate said as she grabbed the towel that had been behind her so she wouldn’t slip in the tub, and wrapped it firmly around her upper body.

 

Abby giggled and nodded as she ran out of the bathroom and back into the main house, shouting for ‘ _daddy_ ’ the entire way.  Jethro showed up in the bathroom a few minutes later, his hand covering his eyes “Safe to open?” Jethro asked from the doorway, his back to Kate.

 

Kate laughed again “Yes, Jethro.  I put my towel around me the second I told Abby that I would read her a bedtime story tonight.” Kate said as she waited patiently for her future brother-in-law to turn around and help her out of the rapidly cooling water.

 

Jethro nodded as he turned and opened his eyes, he wrapped one arm firmly around Kate’s back, where her arm went around his neck and her other hand held onto the edge of the tub.  “Alright… On three.” Jethro said through gritted teeth “One… Two… Three…” he huffed out and then hoisted Kate up from the water and onto her feet.  Once he was sure that Kate was standing steady, he then helped her over the side of the tub and onto the bathmat “I think it’s high-time you gave up bathing like this, Kate… At least until after the twins are born.” Jethro said as he rubbed the center of his back, the last few weeks of building the house extension having taking its toll on him.

 

Kate nodded as she grabbed her dry towel off the rack “Yeah, maybe you’re right about that…” Kate said with a sigh “Tell Abby that I’ll be up in a bit to tuck her in and read her story… Just need to get dressed.” Kate said with a smile and leaned up to kiss Jethro on his cheek lightly.

 

Jethro nodded as he headed out of the bathroom, pulling the door shut behind him.  Kate quickly dried herself off once Jethro was gone and then slipped into her satin pajamas that were sitting on the countertop; she pulled on the matching robe and tied the belt loosely around her stomach before exiting the bathroom and heading to the main portion of the house – she passed Ducky and Jethro on the way, they were sitting at the kitchen table and having what looked like a serious, but quiet, conversation.

 

* * *

 

 

Ducky shook his head as he held onto Jethro’s hand “Why on earth would you decide _now_ is a good time to re-join the military Jethro?  Do you not realize that you would be deployed?  Your skills as a sniper are insurmountable…” Ducky admonished as he stared at his lover, tears dancing but not falling from his pale blue eyes.

 

Jethro shook his head and squeezed Ducky’s hand lightly “I know it sounds crazy Duck… But our country needs us… Needs me… I’ve already discussed my options with a recruiter, and you’re right – I would be deployed again, when and if the paperwork were approved… I’m not even entirely sure if it’s possible if I can even get out of my duties as an NCIS Agent at this point…” Jethro said and lowered his head slightly “Tony has brought back a lot of fond memories of being in the service, Ducky… The camaraderie, the kinship that you build with the men and women in your unit… I miss that close-knit relationship, and this would also bring me and Tony closer together… have more in common with him than just our past as boss-employee…” Jethro whispered as he closed his eyes.

 

Ducky sighed as he stood up and rounded the table and sat astride Jethro in the chair beside him “This is not like you to want to build relationships… What is going on, Jethro?” Ducky asked quietly as he stroked his hand over the side of Jethro’s head lightly, looking into the sad blue eyes of his lover.

 

Jethro growled slightly as he pulled his head away from Ducky’s hand “There’s nothing going on, Ducky… I just… I need a change, I need something that fulfills me, and NCIS is not doing it for me anymore!” Jethro snapped as he stood up, the wooden chair scraping painfully across the hardwood floors and screeching in protest.

 

Ducky stood up and grabbed Jethro “Bullshit.” Ducky said boldly as he stared up at his lover “Pardon my french, Jethro but I call bull on that statement… I know you better than anyone and I know when you are lying to me – So out with the truth or you’ll be sleeping outside in the rain tonight!” Ducky stated angrily, pointing toward the back porch door where the rain was battering heavily against the glass as it came in at a sideways angle and under the roof awning.

 

Jethro shook his head “Jennifer Shepard has taken over for NCIS, Ducky… As the director.  I’m afraid that if she pieces together who I am in time, she’ll want to call me back to DC… I can’t go back to DC, Ducky… I can’t face her.” Jethro said quietly, twisting the end of his worn USMC shirt between the tips of his fingers.

 

Ducky sighed as he set his hands on Jethro’s tense shoulders and squeezed lightly “And if rejoining the military does not work out?  What then Jethro?” Ducky asked quietly as he looked up at his lover when Jethro looked over his shoulder at him.

 

Jethro shrugged as he turned around “Heard that the Beaufort police department was looking for help… Could become a cop, still got time to do a lot with my life… I just can’t deal with NCIS anymore.” Jethro whispered miserably as he laid his head on Ducky’s shoulder.

 

Ducky frowned as he wrapped his arms around Jethro and soothed up and down his back “Whatever you decide, Jethro… I will support you, one hundred percent… I just do not wish to lose you to the man you once were… and I fear that if you rejoin the Marines, that very well may happen again.” Ducky whispered as he kissed the side of Jethro’s head before pulling away slightly so they could look at each other again.

 

Jethro shook his head “It wasn’t the Marines that did that, Ducky and you know it… It was Pedro Hernandez killing my family in cold blood… The bomb that stole nineteen days of my life with a coma… My father acting as if bringing a date to a funeral was the greatest idea when all I really needed was a father to be there for me… No, the marines did not turn me into that cold bastard… The events while I was a marine did.” Jethro said adamantly as he sat back down and brought Ducky with him, still holding onto his hand lightly.

 

Ducky nodded as he squeezed Jethro’s hand “And the bomb that stole nineteen days of your life… Was when you were a bit older… That bomb now does not exist in your medical history – Never happened, you're physically perfectly capable of rejoining if the paperwork is accepted…” Ducky said quietly as he searched his lover's blue eyes solemnly “What of us, Jethro?  You will be thrown back into a society of don’t ask, don’t tell… Are you capable of hiding that again?  Of hiding yourself and our relationship with those who do not know?” Ducky questioned as he stared at Jethro.

 

Jethro sighed as he brought Ducky’s hand up to his lip and lightly kissed the back of his palm “The only people who know of our relationship, live in this house Ducky… It’s not intentional that I don’t tell people, you know how I am – I don’t discuss my private life with anyone unless it’s absolutely necessary.” Jethro said as he released Ducky’s hand and laid his head down on the surface of the table “I’ve been hiding my sexuality for as long as I can remember, Duck… Before I even joined the military the first time around I was hiding my sexuality… It’s second nature to me, and I won’t let it stop me from being the man I’ve always wanted to become, I have a second chance to become that man again and I won’t let it slip by if there’s anything I can do about it.” Jethro stated firmly and definitively as he stood up and paced around slightly.

 

Ducky sighed as he leaned back in his chair “Then… As I said – I support you, Jethro.  If you feel that this is the right path for you, then by all means, talk to whomever you need too.  Do the paperwork and do what needs to be done – I’ll be there for you when you succeed, and I’ll be there for you if you fail.” Ducky said as he stood up and kissed Jethro lightly on the lips “Now, I am off to bed, will you be joining me or will you be waiting for Caitlin to go to sleep as well?” Ducky asked as he glanced above his head.

 

Jethro shook his head “Kate will probably need help getting downstairs again – I’ll wait for her and then I’ll be in, she should be done soon enough with bedtime stories.” Jethro said as he drew Ducky closer to him and tilted his shorter lover’s head up with a hand on Ducky’s jaw, he leaned down and kissed his blonde-headed lover deeply “I love you, Ducky… Don’t ever change.” Jethro whispered as he released his partner and then headed for the stairs.

 

Ducky shook his head as he headed to the master bedroom “It is not I that am worried about changing, Jethro… It is you who has started changing… Whether for the good or bad, it is yet to be determined.” Ducky whispered sadly to the empty room as he went into his and Jethro’s bedroom and shut the door quietly.


	9. Chapter 9

Tony sighed as he laid back in the sand between Kate’s leg, his head resting on her thigh and right next to her very round six-month pregnant stomach – it felt absolutely incredible to be home again; and sure it was close to winter now, but the beach air around them was still just warm enough to be able to relax and enjoy the last of the summer and fall heat before winter descended upon them; Not that it snowed often or at all, but the weather still dropped to considerably lower degrees and being on the beach made it that much colder.

 

Tony turned his head and smiled, kissing Kate’s stomach twice through her sweater “It’s so good to be home.” Tony said as he sat up again, turning around onto his knees and looking down at Kate with a huge grin on his face, his hands resting on either side of her stomach “I missed you, and you, and you.” Tony said as he first kissed Kate, and then bent his head to kiss her stomach again.

 

Kate smiled as she tenderly ran her fingers through Tony’s hair “I feel like going out for dinner tonight… Can we?” Kate asked curiously as she sat up straighter when Tony leaned back to sit between her spread legs.

 

Tony nodded as he rubbed Kate’s calves and thighs with a firm but gentle hand “Sure babe, where did you have in mind?” Tony asked as he lifted one of Kate’s feet into his lap and began slowly rubbing his thumb up the insole of her foot.

 

Kate groaned as Tony hit a particularly tender spot and wiggled her foot out of his large hands “Ladies Island?” Kate asked shyly as she dug her toes into the sand next to Tony’s knees.

 

Tony smiled as he kissed up Kate’s shin to her knee, resting his chin there lightly “Sounds like a plan and the perfect evening with my Lady.” Tony said as he stood up and wrapped his hands around Kate’s hands, easily hoisting her up from the uneven sand and holding her close when she threatened to topple forward “No unscheduled swim time for you.” Tony whispered as he kissed the top of Kate’s head and slowly moved his hand across her stomach, smiling at the answering flutters of his two children against his palm.

 

Tony held onto Kate as he walked with her back to the driveway; Kate sighed as she looked at the Corvette “I don’t think I can even try and get into this thing… And if I can, I definitely won’t be getting out – You need a new car, Tony.” Kate complained as she looked pointedly at her stomach and then up at her fiancée.

 

Tony sighed as he juggled the keys in his hand “I’ll get the keys to Jethro’s SUV then… And we’ll talk about a new car, but I’m definitely not selling the ‘Vette, it’s out of the question.” Tony said firmly as he walked Kate over to the black SUV and then bounded up the stairs, shouting to Jethro and demanding to know where the keys to the SUV were.

 

As Tony drove across the island, he smiled and held onto Kate’s hand, his thumb ceaselessly rubbing the back of her palm; after being away for two months, after only just returning from basic, it felt incredible and almost surreal that he was able to just sit there and hold her any way he wanted too.  Tony pulled up to the restaurant and leaned over to kiss Kate softly “Wait here.” Tony whispered as he released her hand and quickly got out and moved around the front of the car to the passenger seat.

 

Kate smiled when Tony helped her out of the SUV – it was a little too tall when getting down but she was easily able to hike herself up into it “Something preferably lower to the ground, but still big enough to have two adults and two infants in…” Kate said with a nod, returning to their conversation from earlier.

 

Tony set his hand on the small of Kate’s back and led her through to the restaurant doors “What?  You want a soccer mom van?” Tony asked teasingly and turned to the hostess requesting a table for two on the outside patio.

 

Kate elbowed Tony in the stomach, jarring her own arm from the firm muscle she encountered; Tony merely grinned and wrapped his hand around her elbow “No, Tony.  I don’t want a soccer mom van, I want something reliable but not something that comes right out and screams ‘Hey look, she’s a mom!’ I just… I want a car that my fat ass can get into.” Kate muttered when they were seated and finally alone.

 

Tony shook his head and captured Kate’s hand with both of his, bringing it up to his lips and kissing each of her knuckles “You’re not fat, Kate.  You’re six-months pregnant with twins… You’re just… not fat.” Tony said simply, not wanting to upset his fiancée but he also really had no other way of putting it.

 

Kate smiled shyly and lowered her head, a long strand of brown hair falling into her face – Tony pushed it back behind her ear tenderly and then tipped Kate’s head up with his index finger underneath her chin “You’re beautiful and stunning.  Still the most beautiful woman to this day… I don’t care if you weighed six-hundred pounds, Kate, I love you for you… Not what you look like.” Tony whispered sincerely as he leaned over the scant few inches between them and kissed Kate softly and tenderly on the lips.

 

Kate shook her head and tenderly ran her fingers through Tony’s buzzed hair “I don’t think I’ll ever weigh six hundred pounds, Tony… But the fact that you’d still love me, even then… It’s kind of amazing how mature you’ve become…” Kate said in awe as she stared up into the green eyes of her best friend, her hand resting now on the back of his head and her fingers lightly threading and twisting the short strands at the nape of his neck.

 

Tony caressed Kate’s cheek with the back of his index finger “I credit that to you three, and the uniform… I think this is what has been missing my entire life…” Tony whispered as he set his hand on Kate’s abdomen and lightly rubbing his thumbs in circles over her belly button.

 

* * *

 

 

After they had finished eating their dinner, Kate had practically begged Tony to walk around the boardwalk with him, and so there they were; Tony’s arm protectively wrapped around Kate’s back and holding her hip, and Kate’s head resting on his shoulder while her other hand was behind his back and resting in the back pocket of his fatigue pants.

 

Tony pulled Kate over to one of the benches that overlook the ocean and they sat down as the sun started falling rapidly from the sky.  Kate yawned as she looked up and down the dock, her eyes bulging wide as she saw someone coming toward them “Oh. My. Gosh.  Is that… Tony… Tony, is that Robert Wagner?!  Walking on a pier in Beaufort?!” Kate whispered urgently, slapping Tony’s thigh with her closed fist.

 

Tony’s head snapped up immediately, his hand squeezing Kate’s shoulder almost painfully tight – There was only one person in the world, that he knew of, that had a like resemblance to Robert Wagner, and since Tony suspected that the celebrity himself would not be walking down the boardwalk of a barely known small town close to Parris Island, he knew who was coming his way; a boulder formed in the pit of his stomach as his eyes connected with the man headed their way “No, Kate… No… That’s definitely not Robert Wagner.  That man is Anthony Michael DiNozzo, Sr.” Tony whispered as he released Kate and slowly stood up, flattening the wrinkles of his fatigue jacket and turning to face the older man as he approached.

 

Kate watched, a bit fearfully, as the two men stood in front of each other.  Tony stiffened his spine and stood to his full height, towering over his father by a few inches and looking down into the blue-green eyes of his father “What are you doing here?” Tony hissed as he stared at the man.

 

Senior, for all his acting and conning, actually looked in awe of his son as they stared; a small smile, non-malicious and non-threatening, curved the corners of his mouth “I went to DC a few weeks ago, in hopes that we could reconnect… I found out that you no longer worked there.” Senior started off, looking his son up and down slowly, taking in the muscle and military uniform “I asked around, and hardly got anywhere with the agents that worked there… A few let it slip that you and your entire team, medical examiner, and forensic scientist took off a several months ago and then this pretty young thing with red hair told me all about this…” Senior said, waving his hand up and down at his teenaged son’s appearances.

 

Tony snorted derisively as he stood in front of Kate, blocking her view from him and his view from her “So, you thought you’d come and do what?  Try and weasel your way back into my life?  Take things from me that I continue to refuse to give to you?” Tony asked hotly, his green eyes flaring with the anger he’s felt for his father for many years.

 

Senior shook his head and sighed, rubbing a hand through his greying hair “That’s not at all what I came here for, or to do, Anthony.” Senior said quietly, he could feel the heat of Tony’s fury boiling off of him and it almost made him take a step back, but he had never backed down from anyone before, and he wouldn’t let his teenage son be the first – despite how large his son was, and how quite capable he likely was now that he seemed to be in the toughest military division in the United States, if not the entire world “I came here, hoping that I could mend the fences between us… Solve our past issues, and we could start over – Be a true family again… I-…” before Senior could even finish his statement, there was a strong and large fist coming in his direction and far too quickly for him to even duck or move away from it – it was like he was moving in slow-motion while Tony’s fist was moving at the speed of light.

 

Tony slammed his fist directly into the side of his father’s jaw, knowing that there would be nothing that would happen, just enough pain to have his father stagger back – to which he did, his back colliding with the metal poles of the boardwalk railing.  Tony grabbed the collar of his father’s shirt and snarled viciously “What makes you think I want to have anything to do with you?  After all the _shit_ you put me through?  After _everything_ you did to make MY life miserable when I was a kid… What makes you think I want to have daddy dearest in my life again?!” Tony shouted angrily, his normally bright green eyes changing to a sudden very dark and stormy dark green.

 

Senior was taken aback by the fury in his son’s eyes and actually did take a step back this time, away from the boardwalk railing and out of his son’s grasp; his mouth was in a lot of pain and he could taste the coppery undertone of blood “Anthony, please just hear me out?  I can… I have a lot that I must say to you and… I feel that you should hear it.” Senior was close to pleading now, his blue-green eyes were wet with tears but they weren’t going to fall, Tony knew better than that ‘ _DiNozzo’s Don’t Cry_ ’ echoed in his mind unwittingly and he erased them quickly; he was no longer a DiNozzo and he could damn well do as he pleased.

 

Tony sighed but nodded anyway, despite not trusting or even liking his father very much “We’ll talk… But I have to take Kate home… Follow me if you want, but I ain’t inviting you in.” Tony said, his tone verging on the southern drawl that he’d been trying to avoid adopting, unfortunately, it was inevitable when it was heard in every word that anyone who was native to the region ever said.

 

Senior nodded sullenly and brushed the small amount of blood off with his fingertips, his eyes went wide though when he saw Tony turn and help a very pregnant woman off the bench and his arms wrapped around her; they were whispering and over the noise of seagulls, people, and crashing waves, he couldn’t make out what they were saying.  Tony then pulled away from Kate but kept his arm securely around her back “My fiancée, Kate.  Kate… Well… yeah…” Tony said with a shrug as he waved his free hand aimlessly between his fiancée and his father.

 

Senior stepped forward but Kate immediately pulled back and scowled at him “I see you’ve warned her about me?” Senior asked sadly as he looked up at his son, an actual honest-to-god hurt expression flickering in his eyes before it disappeared.

 

Tony shrugged “I’ve told her the important things that she needed to know… Relevant to my personal past…” Tony said as he guided Kate past his father and walked with her toward where he had parked the SUV; Senior kept his distance but followed after his son.

 

Kate shook her head “I don’t trust him, Tony… Not after everything he’s done to you…” Kate whispered, resting both of her hands on her abdomen protectively as if that would keep her two active little ones away from the evil that DiNozzo Senior could inflict on them at any moment.

 

Tony sighed as he rubbed his thumb against the small of Kate’s back as he stopped on the other side of the SUV and helped her into the seat “I don’t trust him either, Kate… Not as far as I can throw him, and these days that might be pretty far… but, he is still my father and I should, at the very least, hear him out… see what he has to say… If you want to stay, profile him for me… Tell me when he’s lying and telling the truth – I wouldn’t be against it, but I’m…” Tony sighed and shook his head, setting his hand on Kate’s stomach “I don’t want you exposed to him, he has a habit of dredging up the past and pulling my face through the mud for no reason whatsoever… I don’t want your image of me changing.” Tony whispered sadly and looked down at Kate’s pregnant mound.

 

Kate frowned as she rubbed Tony’s head lightly, but she was looking out the front window, staring at Senior who had stopped and was waiting for further movement from the couple “We should go… He’s waiting for you to lead him to the house.” Kate whispered as she bent her head to kiss the back of Tony’s head.

 

Tony nodded as he lifted his head and cut a glance in Senior’s direction before moving forward and kissing Kate softly on the lips “This is so not going to end well…” Tony muttered before he shut Kate’s door and said a few words to Senior before getting in the driver seat “His car is right behind ours, so he’ll be following us from here…” Tony said with a shrug before he turned on the engine and backed out of his space, heading to the exit of the restaurant parking lot.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony drove slower than his normal speed – something that was akin and likely inherited from Jethro – so that Senior wouldn’t get lost in the twists and turns of the dark island road; they pulled up to the house and Tony parked, sighing heavily as he watched the headlights of his dad’s BMW dim and then shut off completely “This is going to be a train wreck.” Tony muttered miserably before he got out of the car and headed to the passenger side to help Kate out of the high seat of the SUV.

 

Kate walked ahead of Tony and didn’t even spare a glance at Senior as she stomped up the stairs and headed for their portion of the split home.  Tony frowned, he knew Kate was pissed, she hadn’t said a word since they got in the car together, and now he not only had to deal with the return of his father, he’d have to at some point also deal with his pissed off pregnant fiancée, and that never boded well for him or his body, even before she became a hormonally charged pregnant teenager.

 

Tony led Senior into the main part of the house – Ducky and Jethro were sitting on the couch, watching something on TV; immediately the room went still and Jethro stood up – he recognized the man standing beside Tony, if not for the fact that they had similar facial features, the blue-green hue to Senior’s eyes were an all-telling sign “We’ve been compromised.” Jethro stated matter-of-factly as he strode toward Senior and Tony.

 

Tony nodded and waved his hand in Senior’s direction “He went looking for me at NCIS – Some of the agents who knew what happened to us all let it slip… And the current director of the agency let it further slip about our location and _everything_ that has happened to us since New Orleans.” Tony stated angrily as he walked away from his father and Jethro and into the kitchen to grab something to drink – what he really wanted was a beer, or liquor, or something to just drown out the miserable day, but he was adherent to the law that bound him by only being seventeen and he wouldn’t strike that pot until he turned twenty-one again, if ever.

 

Jethro was seething with anger as he stormed into the kitchen and stared at Tony “The new director of NCIS knows about everything…” He hissed, slamming cabinets and the fridge door a few times before pulling out a bottle of bourbon from a shelf far too high for anyone but him and Jethro to reach.

 

Tony nodded woodenly as he slowly sipped on the cold liquid of a Gatorade “Unfortunately, yes… She apparently knows everything.  Now my father is here to try and make amends or… something… I’m not quite convinced I want to hear his sob story.” Tony said, his voice still angered but quieter now that he’s had some time to breathe, away from the object of his anger.

 

Jethro stood in front of his brother, one hand holding onto the bottle of bourbon and the other reaching up to grasp the side of Tony’s neck and give it a reassuring squeeze “We’ll get through this, Tony.  If he wants to throw shit at us, we’ll throw it right back… Won’t let him stay in this house any longer than is strictly necessary.” Jethro said resolutely before tipping the bourbon to his lips and taking a swallow, he then offered the bottle to Tony who gratefully took it and swallowed enough to make his throat burn and his eyes tear up.

 

Tony fought through the burn and then quickly doused the internal flames licking down his throat with his Gatorade “Don’t tell Kate about that.” Tony husked out as he swallowed more Gatorade before slapping the bottle back into Jethro’s chest and stalking back into the living room where he left his father and Ducky.

 

Jethro returned a few minutes later, the bottle still in his hand but he now held a glass with a few ice cubes and poured til the cubes were covered, then handed the glass to Senior “Oh…” Senior shook his head and his hand “I uh… I quit… drinking actually…” he stammered out, licking his lips as the aroma from the strong bourbon filled his nostrils.

 

Jethro shrugged and pulled the drink back to his chest “More for me then… Sit down, Mr. DiNozzo… We have a lot to discuss and not a lot of time to do it in.” Jethro said as he slumped down into one of the recliners in the living room and crossed his ankle over his knee, watching as the man sat down beside Ducky on the sectional sofa “What, exactly, did Director Shepard say to you when you went snooping around in DC?” Jethro asked pointedly.

 

Senior cleared his throat and relaxed just a bit in the sectional “When I went to NCIS initially, no one would tell me anything… They probably didn’t believe who I was until I produced a picture of Anthony and me when he was younger… They all recognized his face and started telling me that you – all of you-…” Senior paused to encompass the three sitting around him and then looked around the open space of the living room where there were definite signs of children living in the home “had packed up, moved on and had left NCIS behind… Not much more information than that, until your Director Shepard caught wind that I was asking around.” Senior explained as he rubbed his hands on his crisp tailored slacks.

 

Ducky excused himself when he heard Tim calling him from upstairs, and Senior’s eyebrow started rising “Ducky’s illegitimate son was one of my team members, as is the forensic scientist – Although she’s my illegitimate daughter…” Jethro explained, carelessly waving the hand with the bourbon glass “Anyway, continue, please…” Jethro requested, although there was no kindness to his words as he glared at Senior.

 

Senior nodded as he looked at his son and then at Jethro sitting beside him “Director Shepard and I spent the evening at a restaurant discussing what had happened to the six of you – Quite honestly, at first I had no interest in believing her until she showed me photographic evidence in which my son was no longer a thirty year old, but a sixteen or… seventeen?” Senior questioned, glancing at Tony and receiving a nod “seventeen-year-old again and that all of you, too, had regressed in age varying from five to thirty-two.” Senior paused and licked his lips again as he glanced at the bourbon in Jethro’s hand “She has someone here, watching your every move… I’m not sure what her plan is, nor did I ask because I was not interested in involving myself in a crazed woman’s scheming… I led her into believing that I would, and she gave me the photographs and all of the information that I needed to find you, but she would not relinquish the name of the spy.” Senior concluded as he stared directly into Jethro’s steely blue glare.

 

Jethro growled deep in his throat “Where are the pictures?” he asked as he stood up and headed back into the kitchen, depositing his empty glass and the bottle of bourbon back into its rightful cabinet and the sink respectively, he grabbed two bottles of water and another Gatorade and returned to the living room.

 

Senior pulled his briefcase – that hadn’t left his side since entering the house – up onto the coffee table and opened the leather case, he pulled out a sealed envelope with the NCIS seal on it and passed it over to Jethro via Tony’s hands.  While Jethro perused the images, Senior turned to Tony “I cannot allow someone to hurt you, Anthony… Not like I’ve done so in the past – My hopes are, that by doing this, by being open and honest, allowing you to see that I do not have any ill intentions, that you will believe me and perhaps we could start building a familial relationship once again.” Senior said sincerely, his blue-green eyes sparkling with hope.

 

Tony shrugged indifferently “I’d have to take it into a serious consideration, dad… The hurt you put me through in the past is not something I can ever forget or even forgive… I have a family now, an actual, honest-to-god family, and I’m bringing two kids into this world in three months that come before anyone else, even myself…” Tony said as he swirled the remaining liquid of his first bottle of Gatorade around before swallowing the contents and opening the second bottle “I’m still not entirely convinced that your intentions are good here… You’ll have to work a lot harder than producing a few photographs that even you yourself could have had paid for…” Tony stated firmly, signaling the end of their conversation when he turned to Jethro and snagged the photos that the older man had already set aside on the arm of the chair.

 

* * *

 

 

Senior sighed as he stood on the front porch, Tony and Jethro had said they would contact him later and he accepted that they both needed some time to digest and review what has been happening since they left DC behind nearly a year ago.  Someone emerged from the shadows and Senior squinted until he realized who was standing there “I thought perhaps you’d gone to bed.” Senior told the younger woman.

 

Kate shook her head and grabbed Senior by the elbow, dragging him – carefully as to not throw her own balance off – off the porch and into the driveway “You hurt him again… You put a single _dent_ in his already fragile heart where you’re concerned… I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in your chest.” Kate sneered as she tossed Senior’s arm out of her grasp and glared at the older man “He has overcome much too much in his lifetime, he’s been given a second chance at making himself a better man and I won’t have you coming in here, trying to control him or ruin the progress that he’s made!” Kate stated firmly, keeping her tone low and menacing as her dark brown eyes bore into the older man’s blue-green eyes.

 

Senior nodded and fought hard to keep the smile off his face – he liked the younger woman, she had a fire that would definitely quelch his son’s need for trouble-finding “I understand that you have concerns.  Likely, all that he’s told you about me is true… I don’t deny that I was a terrible father toward my son, but his becoming a teenager again has also given me a second chance at rectifying what I did to him.  I don’t expect us to start acting like father and son right away, he’s said as much… But I am hoping for at least a chance at being there for him, you and your future children.” Senior said as he looked down at Kate’s pajama covered stomach briefly before refocusing solely on her eyes.

 

Kate rolled her eyes and shook her head “We’ll see.” She said simply before turning on her heel and crunching her way carefully back through the gravel driveway and back to the small dwelling she shared with Tony.

 

Meanwhile, Tony and Jethro had spread out all of the images that Senior gave them, like a jigsaw puzzle they started putting them in chronological order – some of the pictures even dated back to _before_ they were turned young again; those mostly just consisted of Jethro “She’s been stalking you for years, boss…” Tony said, falling into old habits as they sat side-by-side and moved pictures around to get them in the proper order.

 

Jethro lifted the first picture that they had dated back to the time when they lost Gerald “This is when I was in rehab after Ari shot me…” Jethro said, rubbing his shoulder subconsciously as he thought of that moment “There’s no way that Ari’s involvement in our lives was not a coincidence… He’s been after me for a while now, after us…” Jethro said as he set the photograph back down and looked at Tony curiously.

 

Tony held up two photographs “She has more than Ari working at stalking us then because these pictures were taken around the same time – This one was while I was still in basic, and at the same time while you and everyone else was at the beach.” Tony said, holding the two photographs up to show Jethro.

 

Jethro sighed as he placed the photographs back down where they were after looking them over, Ducky had finally returned from upstairs and Kate was just walking in through the kitchen; both men looked up and beckoned their partners over “We have a serious problem…” Jethro said as he waved his hand over the pictures.

 

Kate sat down next to Tony and Ducky next to Jethro as they looked over the photographs one-by-one, documenting and sighing or growling when they realized how close someone could have gotten to any one of them; fear rose up in Kate’s throat but she clenched down hard on it, and Tony’s leg.  Tony wrapped an arm around Kate’s shoulders and kissed the top of her head “We’re not going to let them get to us, Kate… We’ve made it this far, we’ll get the bastards.” Tony whispered into her hair and nuzzled the soft spot behind her ear.

 

“They’re after Tony and me…” Jethro said, pointing to the pictures – all of the pictures were either featuring Jethro and Tony more prominently than anyone else – “It makes sense though, to go after one or both of us…” Jethro mused as he held two pictures from before either of them had turned into their younger persons – they were at a crime scene and glaring at something off in the distance.

 

Tony shook his head “Why does it make sense?  Why go after me?  Ari has had a vendetta against you for the longest time – You’re his dream kill.” Tony questioned as he stood up and began pacing the length of the couch in front of the coffee table.

 

Jethro, Ducky, and Kate all looked up at Tony “You’re the heart, Tony… Going after you would destroy all of us… You’re the one who keeps us going when we need it… Going after Jethro is like going after the backbone – We _could_ live without him but, without the heart, without you… We’d all stop living…” Kate said quietly as she hoisted herself up from the couch and moved to her fiancee.

 

Tony sighed as he wrapped his arms around Kate and rested his head on top of hers, “So, what do we do boss?” Tony asked as he looked down at Jethro with a firm resolve in his green eyes – he would do just about anything, no… No, he would do absolutely anything to keep Kate and the rest of his family safe from harm, even if it meant harming himself in some way or another.


	10. Chapter 10

Tony stood in the darkness of the beachy marshland that surrounded their house, it had been a few weeks since Senior had dropped the news that they were being stalked and the night after Senior left, Jethro had devised a plan to keep the rest of the family safe and he and Tony to be the targets, since that was what Ari had wanted all along.  Now Tony stood in the shadows of their backyard, his eyes laser-focused on the entrance to Jethro’s workshop in the back; they had made sure to keep up their daily routines as much as possible, but every night since Senior dropped the surveillance bomb, Jethro would come outside to work on the cribs or whatever other project he had going, and Tony would settle himself in for a long night of wait-and-see in the shadows.

 

Tony felt lucky this night though, felt that everything would work in their favor; that the surveillance that they’ve been doing would finally pay off.  Tony blinked once when he caught sight of a shadow moving across the moonlit ground – Their only source of light until you opened the workshop door “Jethro, there’s movement in the yard…” Tony whispered into the walkie-talkie feature of his cell phone.

 

Tony squinted when the workshop door open, flooding the backyard in the bright light, it didn’t provide much light but enough that Tony could see the darkened shadow; it also helped that he had a thermal scope, able to detect where Jethro was located and the unknown figure “Ari… I never thought I’d see you again.” Jethro was speaking and had depressed the walkie-talkie on his own phone.

 

Ari chuckled darkly and clicked the safety off on his gun “I thought I would make one last appearance… Say goodbye to you a final time.” Ari said as he moved closer to Jethro, drawing his weapon up into the air.

 

Tony cursed silently as he withdrew his Sig Sauer and crept across the damp ground, Jethro was talking just loud enough to drown out the sound of Tony’s combat boots squelching in the mud; Tony stood just outside the door, his Sig pointed down to the ground as he listened to the conversation taking place inside “You don’t need to flatter me, Ari.  I would have left you alone after all that has happened.” Jethro was taunting Ari, drawing on the Hamas terrorists’ anger and trying to rile him up – Tony cursed in his head, him and Jethro were far too much alike, because he knew if he were in Jethro’s shoes, he’d have been doing this same thing.

 

Ari snorted and waved the gun in his hand aimlessly “Please Jethro, I insisted on meeting with you one last time – Sort our differences out…” Ari stated as he raised the gun again, but this time he swiveled in the direction of where Tony was standing “Corporal Thomas, you may as well come inside.  No need to stand out in the rain, now is there?” Ari questioned in that condescending way only Ari would know how to.

 

Tony growled as he stepped into the doorway of the workshop, gun still tightly clenched in his closed hand as he stared Ari straight in the eyes “Well, I say… The Marine Corps surely had a grand time turning you into a real man this time around, Agent DiNozzo… Or, do you prefer Corporal Thomas to your previous name?” Ari asked as he centered the Glock right on Tony’s face.

 

Tony nodded once, firmly, and continued glaring at the terrorist before him “I prefer Corporal Thomas.” Tony spat out, indicating with one hand the etched black name on his fatigues ‘THOMAS’ clearly written in bold black stitching.

 

Ari nodded slowly “Corporal Thomas it is then… You may as well release your gun, neither of you will make it out of here alive… No point in harming yourselves.” Ari said as he turned his head to Jethro, but kept the gun pointed right in Tony’s face “Any sudden moves and your baby brother is dead, is that what you want?  For your future sister-in-law to go through life without the father of her twins?” Ari sneered as he took a single step in Jethro’s direction.

 

Jethro glanced over at Tony but immediately refocused on Ari “No… That’s not what I want, but fortunately, we all understand the sacrifice that would be taken if Tony weren’t here… Do you understand that sacrifice, Ari?” Jethro asked quietly, hiding a smile as he looked into the terrorist’s brown eyes.

 

Ari shrugged “I don’t have anyone to sacrifice for; I’ve been in this for myself for a long time now, Jethro… No one that I remotely care about, care for me so the loss of my life will go down as just a random act… I’ve given up the family and forsaken all others who surrounded me.” Ari said, rather sadly and dejectedly but that did not deter his trigger finger as he tightened the grip on his gun.

 

Tony inhaled deeply and raised the gun just in time to hit Ari square in the head before a bullet that neither he, Ari or Jethro expected propelled itself and slammed Tony in the back, spinning the younger man and forcing him to the ground with an agonized scream.  Jethro caught Ari’s falling body in his arms, a neat little circle of dripping blood in the side of his forehead oozing out and onto the ground; Jethro dropped the man to the ground and made his way to Tony, eyes searching the opening of the workshop “What the hell…” Tony muttered as he held onto his bleeding shoulder.

 

Jethro applied pressure to the gaping wound in the back of Tony’s shoulder “Bullet missed the vest… You’re gonna be alright Tony… just breathe and stay with me.” Jethro muttered as he grabbed the Sig Sauer off the ground and tucked it behind his foot “You hear me, Tony, you stay with me!” Jethro demanded as he stared down into the quickly fading green eyes – he could hear sirens in the background but all he was focused on right now was the rapid and pulsating blood oozing over his fingers and Tony’s barely muttered words.

 

Tony gasped for breath “Ari… dead?” Tony asked, his eyes rolling up to search for him, even though he couldn’t see; Jethro slapped his cheek and nodded “Accomplice then… shot me… have to find him… kill him before us…” Tony gasped as he clutched his brother’s hand and squeezed “Find him… Gibbs.” Tony husked out the last words before his eyes fell shut and his body went limp in Jethro’s arms.

 

Ducky came rushing out of the house at this point “Kate is with the kids upstairs… Jethro… Jethro!” Ducky shouted, slapping his partner lightly on the cheek to get his attention “Go and find who shot the boy… I will stay with Anthony until the ambulance arrives.  Should be any minute now.” Ducky said as he took his position right next to Jethro and easily slid his hands over Jethro’s to take over the pressure procedure.

 

Jethro grabbed the Sig and stood up, he spared one last glance at Tony before darting out into the night and running toward where the bullet had come from initially.  Jethro could hear the whining of the ambulance but tuned it out as he focused on his surroundings, his flashlight out and aiming at the ground as he carefully traced his steps – there was a pair of boot prints leading to and from their driveway that did not match anyone that lived in the house, and he followed the trail to the driveway and back to where they ended.

 

Jethro looked down at the ground near the tree, he would have missed it had he not been so focused, but he saw the glint of gold and bent down, and with a stick he lifted the shell casing of a sniper rifle – small in caliber, not enough to do permanent damage but enough to do the damage that it did.  Jethro looked up and saw that the paramedics were already on scene and strapping Tony onto a stretcher – The position of whoever shot Tony had a clear view, could have done more damage… Should have done more damage, they left Tony alive, left him alive… and it made Jethro’s gut start churning viciously with the implication that the person would be back.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony groaned as he tried sitting up, despite being seventeen, he still hated hospitals and despite it being the Marine Corps hospital on base, it still smelled like death and antiseptic, two scents he hated the most.  Kate pressed Tony’s shoulders lightly “The doctor’s said you need to stay still… Moving too much could do more damage to your shoulder.” Kate said softly as she reached up and lightly carded her fingers through Tony’s hair.

 

Tony coughed painfully and turned his head to look at Kate “You okay?  The kids?” Tony asked as he reached out to touch Kate’s stomach, although by ‘kids’ he did mean Abby and Tim, knowing that Kate would know who he meant.

 

Kate nodded as she kissed Tony’s forehead and then moved out of the way to reveal Ducky, Tim, and Abby all asleep on the love seat “We are all fine.  Could be better, but… We made it and we’re all safe.” Kate whispered as she pulled over the chair she had been sitting in and sat down on it again.

 

Tony lifted his head and looked around the hospital room he was in “Jethro… Where is he?” Tony asked as he quickly snapped his head back in Kate’s direction, his green eyes flooding with tears quickly as he thought the worst case scenario almost immediately.

 

Jethro snorted as he walked into the room, carrying a large cup of coffee “I’m right here, Tony.  I was talking to your doctor and the NCIS investigators who will be scouring our backyard for any traces of who shot ya.” Jethro said as he sat down on the bottom edge of Tony’s hospital bed and leaned back against the footboard.

 

Tony nodded and held his hand out for the coffee with a pleading look in his eyes, Jethro sighed but reluctantly gave up the cup to his little brother “Marine-grade hospital coffee, best coffee you can find.” Jethro said with a grin as he grabbed Tony’s foot and squeezed lightly “Doc said you’ll be released from here tomorrow morning, no major damage was done to your shoulder… He just wants you to rest it and do the whole fifteen-minute routine for a few days while you’re here and after you’re released.  They managed to dig the bullet out, it clipped your vest which is why there wasn’t a whole lot of damage.” Jethro explained as he looked directly at Tony.

 

Tony nodded as he eagerly sipped the piping hot liquid of his and Jethro’s now shared favorite brew of bitter hot high-octane fuel “What about the investigation?  You speak with anyone outside of us and your team at PI NCIS?” Tony asked as he glanced up at Jethro before returning to savoring the coffee swirling on his tongue.

 

Jethro shook his head “Don’t trust anyone outside of this room and PI… I know at some point I’ll have to make a call to Shepard… This attempt on our lives won’t be a one-off thing, but I don’t intend on anyone getting hurt next time – Not even the next target… She was stupid in leaving so many clues behind, we’ll catch up to her.” Jethro said as he rubbed his hands on his pants and took the offered coffee from Tony’s hands and took a grateful sip of the still-hot liquid.

 

Tony raised his eyebrow “She?  How do you know it’s a woman already?” Tony asked as he glanced up at the clock, which not only displayed the time but also displayed the date and weather “Oh… I’ve already been in the hospital for a day… Okay, well then do you know who she is?” Tony asked, changing gears as he looked back down at Jethro.

 

Jethro shrugged slightly as he twisted the coffee cup around in his hands “A strand of hair got caught in the trees, probably when she was running… A fingerprint on the shell-casing, running it through all the databases we can think of, especially Mossad and known-terrorists… Haven’t gotten a positive ID yet but we’re pretty certain she was related too or close friends with Ari.” Jethro said as he stood up and tossed the empty cup into the wastebasket.

 

Tony shook his head “Sloppy work for someone who worked with Ari… Are you sure he’s dead this time?” Tony asked as Jethro sat back down on the edge of the bed and laid back against the footboard again.

 

Jethro nodded “Yep, you managed to put a bullet in the side of his forehead before you took your own bullet… He died in my arms, but only for a very brief moment before I dropped him to the floor to check on you.” Jethro said with an evil little grin, pleased with his actions towards Ari’s dead body.

 

Tony laughed, but it broke off into a pained groan as the action spurred his shoulder “Fuck…” Tony breathed out, bouncing his head against the pillow behind him and snarling like a wounded animal as pain radiated from his shoulder down to his arm and back again.

 

Kate squeezed Tony’s hand and started to stand up but Ducky – who had previously been sleeping – was standing at the other side of Tony’s bed and looking at the readout “Pain medication is starting to wear off again, perhaps it’s time we headed home and let Anthony get some rest.” Ducky said as he pointed to the spike in activity on the sheet that was next to Tony’s bed.

 

Tony huffed out an annoyed breath “Hate pain meds…Can’t I just pop an aspirin and call it a day?” Tony grumped as he turned his head up and turned on his most innocent little-boy-lost look on Ducky, knowing full well that the pout would not work on him.

 

Ducky shook his head and smiled patiently at Tony “No, Anthony.  Take the medication that the doctor gives you and get the rest you need… We will be back to pick you up tomorrow.” Ducky said as he reached over and squeezed Tony’s non-injured shoulder and then returned to the love seat, lifting Tim up into his arms easily.

 

Jethro squeezed Tony’s leg lightly “Be back in the morning to tell you about what’s going on… Your CO also said he’d probably be by to chat with you.” Jethro said as he got up and headed to collect Abby, then he and Ducky walked out of the room, giving Kate and Tony a few moments of privacy.

 

Kate pulled herself up slowly, resting one hand underneath her seven-month-pregnant belly and sighed “I need you to come home, Tony… The best is just too big and too lonely without you there in it… Despite getting somewhat used to your absences as of late.” Kate whispered as she leaned over the edge of the bed, Tony lifting up just enough so that their lips could meet in the middle.

 

Tony brought his hand up and caressed the side of Kate’s face with the backs of his fingers “I’ll be home tomorrow, and in bed with you for the foreseeable next few days… And don’t plan on getting much sleep while we’re there.” Tony said coyly, waggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

 

Kate laughed and lightly slapped Tony’s stomach since she couldn’t punch his arm “Shut up and get some rest.  I’ll see you tomorrow.” Kate said as she kissed Tony one last time before heading out of the hospital room to rejoin the rest of the family.

 

* * *

 

 

A few days later saw Jethro, Tony, Kate, and Ducky all sitting at the kitchen table – Tim and Abby were upstairs as they had instructed to be since the grown-ups had a conversation that needed to take place, Abby whined for all of three seconds before Jethro glared her into submission and she high-tailed it up the steps, Tim right behind her.  “So, what do we know?” Tony asked, bringing the entire focus of their situation back on the spread out papers on the table.

 

Jethro twisted the evidence log around on the table and sighed “Shell casing and hair DNA matched back to one person – Ziva David.  She’s a Mossad Operative and Director Shepard has been making noise about her becoming an NCIS liaison…” Jethro informed the group, then slid a picture of the brown-haired woman across the table for everyone to see.

 

Kate gasped as she lifted the picture up, her hands trembling as she held the picture of the woman “I know this woman… I’ve… I’ve seen and talked with her… On several occasions.” Kate whispered, her voice shaking with a mixture of sadness and anger as she clutched the picture in her fist; everyone piqued with interest as they stared at Kate, waiting for her to continue “She’s one of the mentors – Older mentors, not the teen mothers… She… she was always there to listen and give advice… Oh god…” Kate dropped the picture and stood up as abruptly as a seven-month-pregnant woman could, staggering her way to the kitchen sink and throwing up into it.

 

Tony stood up quickly and wrapped Kate’s hair around his fist with one hand and rubbed Kate’s lower back with his other hand “What happened, Kate?” Tony asked gently once Kate had stood up again, he then guided her back to her seat and crouched in front of her, holding both of Kate’s hands in his own.

 

Kate ran a hand over her mouth and blew out a breath “I told her so many things about us… About you, about Tim and Abby, about Ducky and Jethro… I practically ripped my heart out and opened it up for her to see everything that there was about us… She knows my weaknesses, knows _everything_ about us!” Kate shouted, slamming her fist on the table after ripping it out of Tony’s strong grasp, a few pages of paper and pictures fluttering to the floor with the force of wind behind Kate’s hand.

 

Tony sighed as he took Kate’s hand again and kissed the reddening skin “She could know everything about us, Kate… But that won’t stop _us_ from putting an end to her before she puts an end to us… We’re stronger than one person alone – We have each other for a reason, we’ve known how to deal with these threats for a long time…” Tony said quietly and sincerely as he reached up and brushed a stray hair out of Kate’s eyes.

 

Kate nodded and sighed as she laid her forehead on top of Tony’s head “I know… I know.  And you’re right… It’s just… Pregnancy hormones are a bitch sometimes and now I’m really starting to get tired.” Kate whined quietly as she looked down into Tony’s green eyes.

 

Tony chuckled softly, loving the slight out-of-control and out-of-character behavior from his normally fierce fiancée “Go to bed, I’ll be in soon… Promise.” Tony whispered as he kissed Kate’s forehead, stood up and then helped her stand up from the chair again.

 

Once Kate was gone, Tony sighed as he sat down in her seat, resting his foot on the dowel that ran across the bottom “So what do we do?  She won’t be so easily drawn out like Ari was – Ari had a penchant for revenge… What of this woman?  How do we get her in our grasp?” Tony asked as he looked up at Jethro, hoping his brother would have the answers.

 

Jethro shrugged as he sipped his ever-present cup of coffee and then handed the mug to Tony, who also took a sip – it was strange, really, sharing coffee with each other, but they’d been doing it since Tony left basic and now it just became a habit “It won’t be easy, but I think with enough time… She’ll make herself known, she’ll want to be sought out… Perhaps not captured the way I intend on, but… She’ll make herself known.” Jethro said confidently as he downed the last of his coffee “And with that, I’m going to head to bed myself… It’s been a long few days and I need some much-needed sleep.” Jethro said as he held his hand out to the unusually silent Ducky and pulled him up from the chair.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony sighed as he pulled his shirt loose from his jeans and tugged it over his head; Kate was laid sprawled out on her back, sheets tangled at her feet and naked.  Kate’s stomach was perfect and round, resting on top of the pillow that was now a permanent feature of their bed, Kate blinked owlishly in Tony’s direction “Figure everything out?” Kate asked softly as she watched Tony strip his shoes, socks, and jeans off quickly.

 

Tony shook his head as he swaggered over to the foot of the bed and wrapped his fingers delicately around Kate’s foot, rubbing his thumb lightly up the insole “Not yet, but we will… Gonna take some time.” Tony said as he leaned forward and kissed Kate’s ankle lightly “Right now though, I just want to spend time with my beautiful fiancée… Make her world spin out of control…” Tony whispered as he began kissing up both of Kate’s legs, alternating between one then the other but not missing an inch of her beautifully tanned body.

 

Kate squirmed slightly, breathing faster as Tony neared closer to her thighs “Tony…” Kate sighed as Tony spread her thighs delicately and kissed the sensitive skin of her inner thighs.

 

Tony rubbed his nose lightly against the juncture of Kate’s thigh and baby bump since he no longer could get to the sensitive skin below and then rubbed the heel of his palm against Kate’s clit; Kate moaned and twisted sideways, her hand clutching the sheet and pillow beside her “Shhh, I got you…” Tony whispered as he circled kisses around Kate’s patch of curly brown hairs at her core, his tongue laving out to lick a quick tight circle around her clitoris before pulling back and massaging it with his fingers again.

 

Kate inhaled as she raised one leg to Tony’s shoulder, the tips of her toes lightly scratching the surface of Tony’s skin.  Tony smirked as he leaned in closer to Kate and pulled her other leg up to his shoulder, he then stuck his tongue out and was about to dive in when Kate hissed in pain and Tony saw the sheets below start soaking and the water dribbling steadily out of Kate “Oh… Holy shit.” Tony muttered as he flung himself off of the bed and grabbed a nearby towel, sliding it underneath Kate’s body “Shit… shit… Kate I…” Tony looked around frantically before focusing on his fiancée.

 

Kate groaned as a sudden and quick contraction ripped through her body “Tony… Tony oh god.” Kate moaned and reached out for his hand.

 

Tony wrapped his hand around Kate’s and smoothed her hair back off of her sweaty forehead “Kate… The hospital, we _have_ to get to the hospital!” Tony said urgently, trying to help Kate sit up.

 

Kate shook her head and collapsed back into the mattress, panting heavily and squeezing Tony’s hand convulsively “Not… Not enough time… They’re coming, Tony… Now!” Kate screeched as she writhed painfully on the mattress as another contraction tore through her body, causing a loud moan to roll out of her mouth.

 

Jethro, uncaring that both the teenagers were naked, stormed into the room after having heard the distress of Kate’s wailing and knowing it wasn’t typical behavior for them – he was also blessedly naked “What the hell is going on?!” Jethro demanded, staring at Tony then to Kate, noting that she was crying into the pillow and writhing on the mattress in a way he only knew too well “Oh hell, she’s in labor… DUCKY!” Jethro shouted over his shoulder, only for his partner to crash into his backside.

 

Ducky moved around Jethro quickly “No need for all the shouting, I am right here… Caitlin when did you start feeling contractions?” Ducky asked as he set his medical bag at the foot of the bed – at least Ducky had the decency to put on a robe, but there was nothing else underneath it either.

 

Kate huffed a few times and stared up at the ceiling “Been… feeling twinges of pain all day… Thought it was gas or stress or… I don’t know!” Kate whined as another contraction quickly took hold and had her screaming and grasping for anything to hold onto.

 

Ducky clucked his tongue disapprovingly “I’m going to have to get a better look, Caitlin… I just need you to relax.” Ducky said as he climbed onto the bed between Kate’s spread thighs, he reached into his bag and withdrew a set of latex gloves “Perhaps you and Jethro should put on some clothes while I do this…” Ducky said, looking pointedly in Tony’s naked direction.

 

Tony stood up and looked down at Kate, worry dancing in his green eyes; Kate squeezed Tony’s hand lightly “I’ll be okay for a few minutes without you, promise.” Kate whispered hoarsely and then released Tony’s hand, immediately grasping onto the bed and looking down at Ducky.

 

Tony moved to the dresser and withdrew two pairs of gym shorts, tossing one in Jethro’s direction “They may be a little big on you…” Tony said with a shrug as he pulled his shorts up to his waist and then quickly moved back to the bed and laid down beside Kate, unraveling her hand from the sheets and holding on tight.

 

Jethro slipped the shorts on and moved to stand on the other side of the bed, grasping Kate’s other hand and kneeling down beside her “Alright Katie Girl, ready to bring those two little ones into this world?” Jethro asked as he looked up at his sister-in-law.

 

Kate nodded and then everyone turned their heads to look expectantly at Ducky.  Ducky smiled and nodded “The first one is already ready… Head is right there.” Ducky said and then set his finger right at Kate’s pubic bone “Just a few pushes and he or she shall be out and ready for us – We’re going to need a few supplies that I do not carry in my bag – Jethro, if you could collect several soft towels and a tub of warm water…” Ducky requested as he turned his attention back to Kate’s lower regions.

 

Jethro obediently stood up and began gathering the towels, he left a pile of them on the nightstand before he went in search of a tub large enough; decided that the baby bathing tub would work and headed to the bathroom.  Tony meanwhile was anxiously looking at Kate’s pained expression and Ducky’s concentrated one “What can I do to help?” Tony asked nervously, his entire body thrumming with anticipation and fear.

 

Ducky hummed softly “You’re doing what you need to be doing right now… I’m just making sure that everything is alright down here.” Ducky said as he moved a doppler carefully over Kate’s stomach – he had purchased it when they found out Kate was pregnant, not knowing if he would ever have a need for it but wanting to be prepared; the loud swooshing of two rapid heartbeats filled the air around them “They are still in perfect condition and we soon will be welcoming them… No need to fret, I have done this a time or two before ironically…” Ducky said and then began telling them the tale of the time he delivered a woman carrying triplets in the backseat of a taxi cab when he was a much younger _lad._

 

Kate and Tony focused mainly on each other, their eyes locked as they listened half-heartedly to Ducky’s tale, that was until an immense need to push came over Kate and she groaned “Ducky!  I… I have to push!” Kate demanded as she slammed her feet down against the mattress and groaned loudly as a painful contraction waved over her.

 

Jethro had returned by then, setting the warm bathing tub far enough away so it wouldn’t be knocked over, but close enough that he could turn and reach it if need be, he then resumed his position beside Kate.  Ducky nodded “Alright then, let's proceed very carefully… When you feel the urge, just do so and push with all that you’ve got.” Ducky said as he positioned himself just right between Kate’s thighs and held her legs apart so the first baby had plenty of space to emerge.

 

Kate screamed as she put all of the strength she had into pushing, her fingernails piercing both Tony and Jethro’s skin as she squeezed their hands tightly “Quite good, Caitlin.  I can already see the head – Lot of hair on this one.” Ducky commented idly as he readied his hands to catch the infant “Another big push when you’re ready and we’ll have a baby in our midst.” Ducky added as he looked up at Kate and smiled comfortingly.

 

Kate took several deep breaths, her eyes closed as she let the overwhelming pressure in her lower abdomen spur her on “Okay…Okay…” Kate huffed as she felt another contraction starting up; she squeezed Tony and Jethro’s hands again and this time moaned through the huge push, bearing all her weight down and curling her toes into the silk sheets, and then the immense pressure was gone and a scream of defiance to the cold winter air burst through her ears, her eyes popped open and she saw three smiling faces above her.

 

Ducky chuckled as he quickly clamped and cut the umbilical cord “Jethro a towel, please… Must not let the boy get too cold in this winter air.” Ducky requested and held his hand out for the towel that Jethro immediately handed to him; Ducky swaddled the infant as best he could and then looked up at Tony “Place two pillows down on the bed, horizontally… He’s not going to want to stay still.” Ducky said as he gently soothed the screaming infant with his index finger as he waited for Tony to arrange the pillow “Rest Caitlin, your little girl is not quite as ready as her brother… Must be the impatient DiNozzo genes that he inherited.” Ducky said fondly as he laid the crying boy down between the two pillows.

 

Tony looked at the clock and smiled “Hey…” Tony whispered as he pressed his lips to Kate’s sweat-soaked forehead and when she looked up at him with bleary eyes, his grin grew wider “That was a pretty nice Christmas Eve present, but I can’t wait until our Christmas present comes.” Tony whispered and nodded toward the clock, the red numbers saying 11:59 PM.

 

Kate laughed breathlessly as she leaned her head up and kissed Tony sweetly on the lips “How is he doing?  Other than making a fuss and causing a headache… I knew he’d be more like you than I wanted to admit.” Kate teased as she laid her head on Tony’s bicep and breathed through the small contractions that were rocketing through her body, one right after another, the pressure already starting to build in her lower abdomen as their daughter made her way down.

 

Tony laughed as he brushed Kate’s sweat-slicked hair off her face and kissed her head lightly “He’s absolutely perfect, think he’s starting to get used to the cold… Starting to settle down some.” Tony whispered and then grimaced when Kate suddenly clenched down on his hand and groaned loudly “Shhh, shhh… Breathe baby, breathe and just let it happen.” Tony murmured as he took several deep breathes with Kate.

 

Kate cried out when the pressure became too much, she was already pushing without Ducky telling her too, throwing the doctor off guard but only momentarily before he was right there at Kate’s lower regions again “She’s making quick time – Be out in just a few more pushes!” Ducky urged as he readied his hands for the catch, Jethro readied the next towel and Tony just held onto Kate and helped where he could in the aspect of pushing and breathing.

 

From one second to the next, there was the silence that filled the air as everyone waited on baited breath, then the room filled with the screaming of yet another child being born “Quite a set of lungs, little one.” Ducky said affectionately as he clamped and cut the umbilical cord, wrapped the screaming infant in a towel and then gently laid her down on Kate’s stomach, he then lifted the now screaming infant boy up and settled him in Tony’s arms “There.” Ducky said resolutely as he climbed off the bed, he laid a towel over Kate’s exposed bits, then another on the foot of the bed “We’ll need to clean them both up, get you three to a hospital… But for now, just relax and enjoy this moment.” Ducky said as he peeled off his latex gloves and then grabbed the tub of water, setting it on the towel at the foot of the bed.

 

* * *

 

 

Kate sighed happily as she looked at Tony, holding both of their children close to his chest in his large arms “They look so small in your arms.” Kate whispered tiredly – they had finally arrived at the hospital and all three of them were declared healthy and then moved up to the maternity ward where Kate and the twins would stay for a few days so she could get used to being a mother and the twins could get all of their shots and whatever else they needed.

 

Their son weighed exactly five pounds and five ounces and was twenty-one inches long – A tall baby for sure, but he’d be skinny just like his daddy and was born at 11:57 PM on Christmas Eve; their daughter was five pounds even and was eighteen inches long, short and adorable just like their mommy and she was born at 12:01 AM on Christmas Day.  They both had full heads of baby-fine brown hair, and as expected – Their son had highlights of blonde while their daughter had highlights of auburn.

 

Tony smiled as he looked up from the twins “They are small in my arms… I feel like I’m going to crush them if I even move a little.” Tony said quietly as he looked back down at the two peacefully sleeping infants in his arms.

 

Kate laughed tiredly “So that’s why you haven’t moved from that spot when the nurse set the twins in your arms… Tony, that’s been nearly thirty minutes… Aren’t you stiff?” Kate asked as she raised the head of the bed and propped herself up with the copious amounts of pillows that were there.

 

Tony nodded and shifted ever so slightly, their daughter whimpered and he stopped moving immediately, stiffening his spine again “See!  I can’t even move without one of them whining about it.” Tony moaned as he tried making himself more comfortable again, only for their son to whimper in protest this time, clearly, both infants found their daddies strong arms and chest to be the perfect pillows of comfort.

 

Jethro chuckled from the doorway as he stepped inside “Looks like you four could use an extra set of arms… I brought plenty.” Jethro said as he moved out of the way, letting Tim and Abby run through the front door and bounce – gently – up onto the bed where Kate was.  Ducky was slower to walk in, he was speaking with the on-call doctor that had admitted Kate and the twins, he thanked the doctor and shook his hand before joining the rest of the family and shutting the door behind him.

 

Abby was snuggling against Kate’s “Can I hold one of the babies?” Abby asked, her green eyes wide as she looked from Kate over to where Tony was still holding onto the twins with a firm but gentle grip as if any move he made would suddenly have them falling.

 

Kate nodded as she looked at Jethro “He’s been afraid to move… Think you could lend a hand?” Kate asked as she nodded in Tony’s direction and smiled.

 

Jethro nodded as he went over and carefully extracted the infant wrapped in pink, smiling as he gently brushed her cheek with his index finger and walked over to the bed where Abby was sitting “You have to be very careful, Abby… Don’t squeeze her.  Cross your legs and hold out your arms.” Jethro instructed quietly, waiting until Abby got into the position he requested before he carefully laid the little girl on Abby’s lap.

 

Ducky sat at the foot of the bed and smiled fondly at the picture his entire family made up “So, what are their names?  You never did tell us last night.” Ducky questioned as he looked at Kate and Tony curiously.

 

Tony sighed as he _carefully_ stood up, holding onto their son with both arms and then sat down beside Kate’s hip on the hospital bed “We weren’t entirely sure what names we wanted then… It really only came to us after we were here and after Kate had some sleep in her system…” Tony said as he looked down into his sleeping son's face and smiled warmly “This is Landon Jethro Thomas… LJ for short, when he’s older.   And that…” Tony nodded toward their daughter “Is London Grace Thomas.” Tony said proudly as he looked at his entire family.

 

Jethro chuckled as he stood beside Tony and settled his hand on the back of Landon’s head “Landon Jethro, huh?  You just couldn’t resist carrying on that name?” Jethro asked as he gently stroked the baby soft hairs on top of Landon’s head.

 

Tony shook his head and smiled “I really couldn’t…” Tony whispered as tears gathered in his eyes – aside from there being someone out there who wanted his entire family miserable and without him and Jethro in their lives, he couldn’t feel any more at peace with the way things turned out; he had two beautiful newborns, born on two separate but important days, a beautiful fiancee that he would soon be marrying and a beautiful family altogether.  It was exactly the way Tony had envisioned life for himself the first time, and now that he was being given this second chance, he was making sure that all of his life-long dreams finally came true.


	11. Chapter 11

Tony sighed tiredly as he laid on the bed, staring up at the dark ceiling – They had been home for nearly six weeks now with the twins and between diapers, feedings and just ‘I want attention’ cries, he was feeling every bit of exhaustion that was slowly sinking into his bones; having two of everything was not what he had envisioned but still, he wouldn’t change having them – wouldn’t change it for the world.

 

Kate yawned as she curled up on Tony’s side, her foot rubbing his bare shin “What was it this time?” Kate asked tiredly – they had decided on keeping a rotating schedule of twos, where Tony would go twice and then Kate, so they could maximize their hours of sleep by at least a little bit.

 

Tony shook his head “Landon needed a fresh diaper and London just woke up because Landon did…” Tony said as he wrapped his arm around Kate’s back and lightly brushed up and down her spine, he knew he was exhausted but having Kate so close gave him a refresher he definitely needed, especially with the way she was rubbing against his leg.

 

Kate nodded and slowly rolled over, resting her knees on both sides of Tony’s hips as she looked down at him “Think we can get a little bit of mommy and daddy time?” Kate asked softly as she brushed one hand up Tony’s side, lightly skimming over his ribcage.

 

Tony shrugged as he settled his hands on the back of Kate’s thighs “Damn sure hope so.” Tony said and moaned softly as Kate began lightly grinding against his rapidly growing cock; he quickly reached over to the nightstand and pulled out a box of unopened condoms, he knew where this would lead and did not want any accidents in their future.

 

Kate smiled as she continued lightly rocking against Tony’s cock, she lifted the box of condoms and withdrew one from the box before tossing it onto the bed, setting the unopened condom wrapper on the center of Tony’s chest “So do I…” Kate sighed as she leaned down and began kissing her way up to Tony’s chest, flicking her tongue across both of his nipples and drawing a mostly silent moan from Tony before she moved up to his mouth and latched on with a fevered passion.

 

Tony groaned as he massaged up and down Kate’s thighs, over her ass and across her hips, he was now lightly thrusting up against her wet core, his cock easily sliding between her folds but not entering her tight heat “You sure you can handle this?” Tony asked when Kate started kissing down his jaw and throat.

 

Kate nodded against Tony’s throat, sucking feverishly and pulling up a bright purple bruise “Yes… I’ve been working on it.” Kate whispered as she slowly sat up and pulled the slinky little nightie she’d been wearing up and off of her body, she kept the sports bra she’d been wearing on though, not wanting her breasts to leak uncomfortably – they were the type with absorbent pads so when her breasts did leak, it wouldn’t show through her shirts.

 

Tony smiled as he skimmed his hands up Kate’s sides lightly – she still had a lot of her pregnancy weight but since Kate had started feeling better after only two days of leaving the hospital, she and Tony had been going for a run every morning after they woke up and every night before they _tried_ going to sleep. “Okay…” Tony breathed as Kate began lightly flicking her thumbs over Tony’s nipples, he moaned softly and bucked upward “Can’t… can’t wait much longer, Kate.” Tony huffed as he rubbed the head of his cock against Kate’s slick folds, slipping between them and up against her clit.

 

Kate moaned and bucked down hard against Tony’s cock, her fingers clenching at his chest; she quickly grabbed the gold foil wrapper and tore it open, she scooted back onto Tony’s thighs and expertly rolled the condom down his long shaft, giving it a teasing squeeze and stroke before she moved back up and positioned herself over his cock.  Tony groaned and bit back his bottom lip as Kate slowly sunk down on him, she was still almost unbearably tight but as she said she had been working on opening herself up to his size again; and Tony knew exactly what that meant, had heard her in the shower or tub several times but never wanted to interrupt her, even though it did turn him on intensely, knowing what Kate was doing in the bathroom.

 

Kate gasped and rocked her hips as she took more of Tony’s cock into her greedy body, she grabbed onto Tony’s hands and pushed them up the bed, above Tony’s head as she sunk down all the way and moaned out in pure ecstasy, being filled so completely by her fiancée again felt absolutely incredible “Jesus…” Kate breathed out as she rolled her hips in slow circles, Tony’s cock brushing every nerve ending in her sensitive core.

 

Tony clutched Kate’s hands in his own and rocked his hips upward and in counterpoint circles to Kate’s rolling; they both moaned and Kate pressed her forehead against Tony’s chest, but only briefly before she raised up again and started lifting her hips and dropping back down onto Tony’s shaft.  Tony thrust up when she would start coming down, creating a delicious friction between their bodies “Tony…” Kate gasped and arched her head back when his pubic bone slammed directly into her clit, sending her body into a full shudder.

 

Tony wrapped one arm around Kate’s waist after getting it free from her tight grip, he planted his feet on the mattress and lifted his hips up just enough so that just Kate’s knees were resting on the mattress, he then pushed his hips down and back up, thrusting rapidly into Kate’s body a few times and causing her to moan out loudly.  Tony then quickly flipped Kate onto her back and hovered over her, he smiled and leaned in, tenderly kissing her on the lips and then across her jawline “I’ve missed you, so much…” Tony whispered as he nipped at Kate’s earlobe, his hips slowly and shallowly working in and out of Kate’s tight heat.

 

Kate nodded against the side of Tony’s head and rested her feet flat on his hips “Missed you too.” Kate whispered as she turned her head and captured Tony’s lips in a devastatingly passionate kiss – one that had Tony’s hips faltering in their movements before he gained some of his equilibrium back and he started thrusting with controlled movements again.

 

Kate moaned and arched her back, her fingers digging into one of Tony’s shoulder and the hand that she was still holding, her toes curled against Tony’s thighs “That’s it… oh god… oh, Tony…” Kate moaned as Tony continued pounding into her relentlessly, her body shuddering as her orgasm started building rapidly “So close, baby… so close…” Kate chanted into his ear.

 

Tony nodded as he sped up, his own fingers tightening around Kate’s hand as his own orgasm started building “Kate… shit… shit…” Tony moaned as his orgasm slammed into him unexpectedly, he quickly sat up and began vigorously rubbing Kate’s clit while his cock throbbed and pulsated, filling the condom with his semen.

 

Kate cried out, her entire body arching off the mattress as her orgasm shook her from the inside, her entire body shuddering with pleasure and her legs clamping down on Tony’s hips “Oh fuck!” Kate exclaimed, quickly pushing Tony’s hand away from her sensitive clit, then laid panting on the bed, her body still quaking with the aftershocks of an intense orgasm.

 

Tony slowly pulled out of Kate, keeping a firm hold on the overloaded condom, some of it seeping out at the edges “Jesus… I think its still going!” Tony exclaimed as he stood up and grabbed a towel from the laundry basket, he carefully peeled the filled condom off his cock and watched as lazy little spurts of white coated the black towel as he wiped himself clean “Fuck…” Tony groaned and tossed his head back against his shoulder blades “I don’t think one is enough to keep the monster at bay…” Tony said as he continued stroking his still very hard cock.

 

Kate shook her head and laughed “I could help with that you know…” Kate said, licking her lips enticingly as she sat up on her knees and beckoned Tony closer.  Tony grinned as he moved closer to Kate, standing at the foot of the bed and looked down at her – Kate smiled as she sat up and kissed Tony slowly, she took the towel from his hand and laid it out beneath Tony’s cock on the mattress, she wrapped her hand around him and stroked teasingly slow, drawing out a few more pearly strings of white.

 

Tony breathed out and wrapped his hands around the foot posts of the bed, bucking his hips into Kate’s tight grip “That’s it… Mmm…” Tony moaned as he pushed up into Kate’s fist and then pulled back again; Tony whimpered though when Kate’s hand left his still swollen cock, but only to gasp moments later when her mouth wrapped around the head of his cock and she started swallowing him down.  Tony couldn’t help the moans that rolled out of his mouth and started growing louder as Kate swallowed him whole, the head of his cock pressing against the back of her throat and begging to be let down further.

 

Kate opened her throat and swallowed Tony to the very root of his cock, which had Tony practically sobbing in pleasure, one of his hands settled on the back of her head and he lightly caressed his fingers through Kate’s hair “So close… Just… a little more…” Tony grunted out, his fingers clenching into Kate’s hair but only for a brief moment, he would never do anything to force her and she knew this.

 

Kate smiled around the cock in her mouth before pulling back and setting a near brutal pace on Tony’s cock, saliva was pooling rapidly in her mouth and coating the way for her to take him to the base several times over.  Tony shouted loudly, his toes curling in the plush carpet beneath the bed as his second orgasm of the night tore through him; Kate just hummed happily as she swallowed down Tony’s essence as it spurted rapidly into her mouth.

 

Tony collapsed only moments after Kate released him, his knees hitting the carpeted floor with a dull thud and his head hitting the end of the mattress “Jesus…” Tony breathed out, his head was absolutely spinning and now he was fit for sleep, even if it meant sleeping right where he was.

 

Kate laughed as she gently rubbed the back of Tony’s head “Get back in bed… You’ll sleep much more comfortably.” Kate whispered as she collected the soiled towel and tossed it back into the hamper before crawling back up the bed and pulling her nightgown back on.

 

Tony groaned as he heaved himself up onto the mattress and laid sprawled out on his stomach, his head barely reaching the pillow; before he could turn and say anything though, a loud wail pierced the air and the baby monitor on the nightstand “I got it… You get your sleep.” Kate said as she popped Tony on his bare ass lightly before getting off the bed and headed across the hall to the twins nursery.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony sat heavily at the dining room table, thumping his head against the solid oak wood; he and Kate had just returned from their run and morning shower and his exhaustion was even more prevalent now – Landon and London had awoken six more times during the night and well into the early morning hours, leaving Tony with a scant four hours of actual sleep and Kate even less since she had had to pump more breast milk for Tony so he could feed if that was what either twin desired.

 

Jethro set a steaming mug of coffee down beside Tony’s head and squeezed both of his brother’s shoulders before sitting down across from him with his own cup of coffee “I promise it does get better… Once they get on a schedule and once you two stop going to them every single time they cry.” Jethro said lightly as he kicked Tony’s foot.

 

Tony grumbled as he lifted his head just enough to get his lips against the rim of the coffee cup and slurped noisily at it, he lifted his eyes to look at Jethro, silently demanding he continued talking.  Jethro chuckled and sipped his coffee “They’re babies, Tony… Sometimes they just need to cry.  It may be mysterious and downright annoying, but it’s just what they do… Sometimes for no reason, or sometimes for all the reasons in the world… If you keep showering them with attention as you’ve been doing, they’ll start figuring it out that every time they do it, you’ll come running at the smallest peep…” Jethro shrugged his shoulders and sipped more of his coffee “It’ll hurt like hell when you ignore them but it’s what needs to be done in order to get them settled into a routine.” Jethro finished as he leaned back and laid his head on the top of the dining room chair.

 

Tony nodded into his cup and sighed loudly “Still have to deal with the threat of Jennifer Shepard and Ziva David… What are we going to do about that?” Tony asked, easily falling into old habits of deflecting his own personal issues, even though he did crave and savor Jethro’s experience and knowledge of all-things-baby.

 

Jethro sighed and rubbed the side of his head and neck “Still working on trying to draw Ziva out, Jennifer is an easy card… Something I hate having to do but I may have to invite her here or go back to DC and speak with her personally… I also intend on giving her my notice, leave request and the documents she’ll need to sign off on so I can return to active duty.” Jethro said, his tone quiet and edging on the side of anger as he glared into his coffee cup.

 

Tony groaned and lifted his leaden like body into an upright position “I don’t like the idea of you going to DC – even if it’s not my place to tell you what to do… So many things could go wrong if you went there… Bringing her here, not to the house obviously, but somewhere on neutral grounds… It would be better for us…” Tony intoned as he brought his coffee up to his lips, swallowed and savored the last of the piping brew before setting the empty mug down on the table “As for Ziva, I’m sure if she is in fact in bed with Jennifer, I’m sure she’ll either be at this meeting or be very close by… I’ve got some buddies who can keep an eye out, as I’m sure you do too…” Tony said and rolled his shoulders, releasing some of the tension that was starting to build up between his shoulder blades.

 

Jethro nodded “I got a few people that I _think_ I can trust at NCIS, but I won’t know for sure until after this is resolved… Even then I won’t stay at NCIS – I’ve already made up my mind in what I want to do… I’m gonna go back into the Corps and hopefully do more than just be a lump on a log.” Jethro said snappishly, his fingers tightening around his coffee cup before he stood up and grabbed Tony’s empty and headed back to the coffee pot.

 

“You were never a lump on a log, Gunny.” Tony said in a tone that both brokered no argument and held the mass amounts of respect Tony had for his brother’s previous military status; “I saw a lot of things in the recruitment depot about you when you were a Gunnery Sergeant there… The post newspaper clippings, the way people spoke about you… You were more revered in the Corps than you ever were at NCIS… Not saying you weren’t an amazing boss, but you were an _outstanding_ Gunny.” Tony said proudly as he tilted his head back to look at Jethro with a bright grin on his face.

 

Jethro chuckled as he returned to the table with fresh cups of coffee “I miss those days, whipping young ones like you into shape…” Jethro shook his head and stared at Tony “You’re gonna go far one day, kid… Don’t fall down a rabbit hole though, and don’t let this shit that’s dominoing around us affect you…” Jethro said as he reached over and squeezed the side of Tony’s neck affectionately.

 

Tony snorted as he sipped his coffee “My CO is making noise about recommending me to OCS… Not sure I’m ready to actually take that step yet though… I’ve only been a Corporal for three months.  At the rate I’m going, I’ll probably be a General before I hit nineteen.” Tony said semi-sarcastically with an eye roll for added effect.

 

Jethro shook his head and laughed lightly “I doubt you’ll get that far that quickly, but you are heading in a great direction with your career, Tony… I’m sure your CO will understand that you’re not ready to go to OCS yet, but you will be one day.  Don’t let that opportunity slip by you.” Jethro said as he sipped his coffee slowly and sighed “You ever think about what you would do if you were relocated?” Jethro asked as he leaned back again, crossing his ankles and holding his coffee cup against his bare stomach.

 

Tony shook his head “Don’t really wanna think about it – I don’t want to be separated from you guys… If we ever have to be moved, we probably won’t see each other except on holidays and long leaves… Don’t know if I or Kate could actually live with it… Not saying we want to live in this house with you forever, but being so far away from each other?” Tony shook his head and shrugged “I’d rather we stuck together like we always planned.” Tony whispered into his coffee cup before taking a huge gulp.

 

Jethro sighed and rubbed the top of his head slowly “Maybe I should reconsider my own options… If I re-enlist… There’s a strong chance of all of us being separated… But I don’t have any other reputable skills besides shooting people and building things – I can’t do carpentry for the rest of my life, I’d get bored too quickly.” Jethro shuddered at the thought and shook his head, staring down into his coffee cup.

 

Ducky sighed as he joined everyone at the table “Jethro, do not go second guessing yourself about the decisions you want in life… You have wanted to be a Marine since you were a boy, that was taken from you and now you’ve got a second chance at doing it again – Why on earth would you let that opportunity go to waste?  Yes, we may be separated at one point, but-…” Ducky shook his head as he looked at both of the stubborn men before him “But, we are and always will be, a family… We will still see one another, and perhaps get lucky enough to move to the same locations – I’m sure that if you talked to the right people, they will see that breaking up a family like such is a bad idea…” Ducky said wisely as he gently stroked the back of Jethro’s head “Re-enlist, Jethro… It has always been your dream.” Ducky whispered as he kissed the side of his partners head and smiled affectionately.

 

* * *

 

 

A few days later, Jethro and Tony were sitting at an outdoor café on the boardwalk after they both got off of work, they had set up a meeting with Director Shepard and she had been most reluctant to come down to South Carolina but Jethro was able to spin a tale about his busy work schedule and that he was unable to get away, she had tried to talk her way out of it, give Jethro options to fly back to DC but he turned it around and eventually she had agreed and now they both just had to wait for her to show up – and hopefully, Ziva would as well, if not at the physical meeting itself, then somewhere lurking in the background.

 

Tony had called several of his MP buddies who were off rotation and had the time to scout the area – he even had a few buddies who weren’t MPs that were in the surrounding area, including his CO who was more than willing to help ‘one of his best’ out in a dire situation – It was no secret that Tony and his family were being stalked, living on a small island was like living in a small town, everyone knew everyone and everybody's business was just simply… there.  Everyday fodder for the gossip circle.

 

Tony sat up straighter when the atmosphere around them seemed to change, it suddenly felt colder and it had nothing to do with the winter breeze spinning off of the ocean and around them “She’s here… Can feel it.” Tony murmured as he wrapped his hands tighter around the coffee mug and shuddered slightly.

 

Jethro nodded as he lifted his eyes and scanned the café’s layout slowly, his eyes immediately catching the red-orange hair of his ex-lover “Oh yeah, she’s here alright… And mighty pissed off it seems.” Jethro said with a chuckle as he sat up straighter himself, twisting the bracelet on his wrist that also happened to be a recording device.

 

Tony snorted into his coffee cup “Why doesn’t that surprise me?  You love pissing off the women you’ve slept with…” Tony said with a smirk as he looked up innocently at Jethro.

 

Jethro rolled his eyes, his hand twitching slightly on the table – he was so very tempted to slap Tony in the back of the head right now, would have too had it not been for the fiery red-headed director as she stormed through the slightly crowded coffee shop and onto the back patio, stopping only when she got to Jethro and Tony’s table “I thought we were meeting here alone, Jethro…” Jennifer said as her introduction rather than a normal greeting, as she cut a nasty glance in Tony’s direction before refocusing on the baby blue eyes of her former lover.

 

Jethro shrugged as he kicked out the only other chair at the table and inclined his head toward it “Sit.” He ordered gruffly, not at all caring that he was ordering around what essentially was his boss – he still saw her as the probationary agent she was some years ago, and despite now being eleven years younger than her, he still saw those same qualities of an untrained agent in Jennifer.

 

“You have no right to order me around, Special Agent Gibbs.” Jennifer snarked, even as she sat down and folded one of her legs over the other, the pencil skirt she was wearing rising up on her legs and showing off to her midthigh, clearly an invitation to look and admire.

 

Jethro cleared his throat and put a stack of papers on the table “Sign those and I won't even have to deal with you anymore.” Jethro said, flicking his gaze to Jennifer’s leg but only for a brief moment before he focused on the hot coffee he was sipping and the view of the ocean beside him.

 

Silence reigned supreme over their table as Jennifer flipped through the paperwork, her head shaking minutely and her hand trembling just as much, when she was finished she shook her head firmly “There’s no way I can accept a leave request, let alone you leaving the agency altogether – The agency needs you.” Jennifer said as she passed the papers back across the table, only to have them shoved right back at her.

 

Jethro growled and planted his palms on the table “Sign the forms, Jen.  I’m in no mood to play games with you.” Jethro stated grumpily before he stood up “Gonna get more coffee… Tony?” Jethro questioned, nodding down to Tony’s cup.

 

Tony nodded and smiled at his older brother before taking the final sip of his drink and handing the empty cup to Jethro.  Once Jethro was away, Tony stared at the redhead across from his, arms across his chest and ankles crossed; Jennifer returned the stare “I suggest you sign the papers, Director Shepard… Otherwise, I don’t know exactly what Jethro will do, and quite frankly I’m sure you and anyone else above you, below you, and beside you, won’t want to know what he’ll do either.” Tony stated boldly as he tilted his head to the side, a small smile curling one side of his face up.

 

Jennifer sighed, she knew that this younger man was correct – Jethro had a way of his own on building up a stink and she couldn’t afford to let that affect her, not with the plans she had.  She pulled a fancy little fountain pen from her clutch bag and signed where her signature was needed, even if it angered her to the point of no return, she then got up and shuffled her way through the crowd “We need to talk.” Jennifer hissed as she grabbed Jethro by the wrist and pulled him out the front door.

 

Jethro offered no resistance, even though he sorely wanted too, following Jennifer out to the parking lot and over to her fancy rented convertible, despite it being winter weather “Okay so talk.” Jethro stated as he sipped one of the two cups of coffee in his hands.

 

Jennifer leaned against the side of her convertible and crossed her arms underneath her breasts; growing annoyed that her plans of seduction weren’t even working on the man who once could not get enough of her, especially her breasts – they had always fit so perfectly in his hands and she missed that touch “Jethro, why are you doing this?  Why are you running and why are you trying to hide from me?” Jennifer asked quietly, her tone taking on a sad note.

 

Jethro shook his head, he could hear the pathetic attempt at the sadness in Jennifer’s voice “I’m doing this because it’s the only way I can protect my family.  I’m not running nor am I hiding from you, Jen… You ended our relationship when you wanted _bigger and better_ things out of life and I fit nowhere in that equation… I don’t begrudge you for wanting to be a better person… But are you really?  Are you actually a better person?” Jethro questioned, setting his hand on top of Jennifer’s car and leaning closer to her, not quite touching but close enough that he could smell her perfume mixing with the salty ocean air around them.

 

Jennifer shook her head and shivered as a strong breeze whipped around them, she instinctually moved closer to Jethro for warmth and he didn’t pull away, despite wanting too “No, I’m not a better person, Jethro… I was never a better person for leaving you like that… A Dear John letter was not how I envisioned things happening, but I wasn’t ready to take the steps that you were leading toward…” Jennifer whispered, her voice still loud to carry over the breeze but no further than Jethro’s ears.

 

Jethro shook his head slowly “Jen, no matter what happened in the past and what happens in the future – There is nothing between us anymore.  I have found my better half and I intend on living out the rest of my days with this person…” Jethro said, his tone firm and final as he turned on his heel and headed back into the café – He had more business to attend to, and the cards were falling just how he had planned them too. 

 

Two of Tony’s MP buddies found Ziva not too far away from the café and had taken her to an undisclosed location, where only they knew where to find her when their business here was done “You ready to go?” Jethro asked as he handed Tony his cup of coffee and nodded his head in the direction of the parking lot.

 

Tony nodded as he stood up, he withdrew a few dollars from his pocket and slipped them into the tip box on the table and then headed out with Jethro “So, gonna tell me what you and Jen talked about?” Tony asked, only receiving a mild glare from Jethro over the hood of the car as they got in – Tony didn’t push any further, although he really did want answers, he knew he could listen to the recording later.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony and Jethro stood in the shadows of the warehouse – it was an older building that had become a storage unit of sorts for broken down military vehicles, mostly just unusable parts.  The brown-haired woman sat on a chair, legs and arms shackled to the legs of the chair “She’s beautiful… That’s for certain.” Tony commented idly as he spun his mostly empty coffee cup around in his fingers.

 

Jethro shrugged as he leaned on one of the metal crates “I suppose she is… But that doesn’t change who she is, can’t let the beauty fool you, Tony… Especially because you’re engaged to be married in a few short months.” Jethro said and sipped the last of his coffee before crumbling the cup in his hand and set it down on the box.

 

Tony rolled his shoulders and let out a long breath “Tony…” Jethro said quietly, turning fully to face his little brother; when Tony turned, Jethro smiled sadly “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want too… It’s not going to be easy and we may have to resort to tactics that even I don’t necessarily condone.” Jethro said sympathetically, setting his hand on the side of Tony’s neck and squeezing lightly, trying with everything to convey the truth of his words.

 

Tony shook his head and squeezed Jethro’s forearm lightly “No, I can do this… No different than being in interrogation with you – If it gets to be too much, I’ll walk away… but I can handle this.” Tony said resolutely before he turned on his heel and headed into the large empty space of the warehouse.

 

Jethro inhaled deeply and pushed his own moral standards to the far reaches of his mind as he strode forward and stood near the brown-haired woman, glaring down into her cold brown eyes “I’m going to ask you one question… And if I don’t get the truth, I feel you’re lying to me, or you simply do not answer… You will not like what happens next.” Jethro stated, setting his hands on the arms of the chair and leaning into Ziva David’s personal space.

 

Ziva nodded subtly, her brown eyes locking onto the steely blue gaze above her.  Jethro snorted, not at all convinced that this woman would give him the answers he desired “Who hired you to follow me and my family around?” Jethro questioned, his blue eyes drilling into the unforgiving brown eyes.

 

Ziva stared defiantly back at Jethro, her bottom lip puffed out and an air of silence following Jethro’s question.  Jethro shook his head, almost sad by the fact that she remained silent, he looked up and saw that Tony was just sitting there, watching with wide but not terrified eyes.  Jethro huffed out a breath and quickly drew his gun, pressing it into the ball socket joint of Ziva’s shoulder “I will not ask you again… You don’t answer me this time and I’ll start putting bullets in each and every one of your socket joints…”  Jethro sneered and locked his gaze with Ziva’s.

 

Ziva inhaled deeply and shook her head, lowering her eyes to the gun against her shoulder “You sound just like him… He threatened people just the way you are now… This is revenge, is it not?  For your friend, Gerald?  He was shot… right there too.” Ziva said quietly, her eyes still locked on the gun against her shoulder before she blew out a slow breath “I will tell you everything that you want to know… I have nothing to hide.” Ziva said solemnly, accepting her fate for what it was – she had been found out, there was no reason to hide who she was trying to protect anymore, not with her big brother dead and herself being disowned by the only family she had ever known.

 

Jethro nodded and saw that Tony had jumped from the metal crate and produced two chairs – they both sat down and looked expectantly at Ziva; Jethro twisted the recording device of his bracelet to on and then crossed his ankles and leaned back, waiting for the young woman to begin her tale “Ari was my half-brother… He was obsessed with revenge toward you… My father did not approve of his behavior, nor did I but I thought I could get him back, could make him see sense… I know now that I was wrong in that assumption.” Ziva shook her head and let out a shuddery breath “Jennifer contacted me, we have been friends for a long time… I once saved her life when she was in Egypt… When she contacted me she asked if I would be interested in working with her agency as a Liasion officer… I accepted because my father and I have not spoken in a long time now, he has fired me from Mossad and I could not convince Ari that his ways of revenge were wrong and against what we believed in.” Ziva said as she looked at the Star of David necklace dangling from her neck.

 

Ziva looked up again, her eyes this time were soft and watery looking; a definite contrast to the defiant woman from twenty minutes ago.  “She never did have a permanent position for me at NCIS, she fast-tracked my FLETC program so I had the bare minimum of requirements so I could have a badge and gun with me at all times… She assigned me things that no one else ever knew about… Spying on the people she did not like, or perhaps liked too much as the case may be…” Ziva shrugged her aching shoulders and Jethro saw the wince of pain.

 

Tony saw it too and quickly moved forward to loosen the binds on Ziva’s wrists, but left her ankles shackled to the chair.  Ziva smiled gratefully “Thank you…” she whispered before clearing her throat “There was a man, La Grenouille or ‘ _The Frog_ ’ that Jennifer wanted information on… She believed that he was responsible for her father's death and wanted to clear her father’s name… When I could provide no further information for her on this… She sent me here to trail your family, befriend the young woman…” Ziva shook her head, a long brown curl falling into her face “I had no idea why… Not until she told me that she wanted death to become all of you… Except for you.” Ziva said as she looked up at Jethro, tears dancing but not falling from her eyes.  “I saw the happiness, the love… I once had that, before my mother and sister died… I could not do what she wanted, I have yet to tell her that I will not participate in the murder of a loving and true family…” Ziva said with a small shrug, pulling her hair back out of her face and tying it back behind her head with a ponytail holder.

 

Jethro stood up and set his hand on Ziva’s shoulder “Good.  Don’t tell her – Continue on as you have been, following us… Taking pictures… Reporting to her when she requests it… Document _everything_ … All of your conversations…” Jethro blew out a breath and squeezed Ziva’s shoulder “She’s lied to you, to her own bosses, to the entire agency… This will not go unpunished or be swept under the rug…” Jethro said as he stared directly into the younger woman’s eyes.

 

Ziva nodded and set her hand on Jethro’s wrist for a brief moment before dropping her hands back to your lap “I will not betray you.” Ziva swore, her voice solemn and sincere as she stared into Jethro’s steely blue gaze, conveying every ounce of truth she could with just her eyes and words; only when she proved herself to be true in action, she knew, would Jethro trust her, but she had hopes for a long-lasting friendship with this family, perhaps befriending them all and becoming apart of their trusted circle.


	12. Chapter 12

Tony sighed as he tapped the tip of his pen against his notepad, leaning back against his patrol Humvee as he stared at the overgrown grass he was currently writing a citation for – He hated writing citations but it was, unfortunately, a part of his day-to-day routine.  Tony ripped the citation off and started up the sidewalk to the house, taping it to the wooden door just as it swung open and a heavily pregnant woman stood on the other side of the threshold, glaring at the note “Corporal… Thomas… What is the meaning of this?” She demanded to know, glaring at Tony now after reading the name on his fatigue jacket.

 

Tony pointed his pen backward, indicating the overgrown lawn “Your lawn is ten inches over the legal limit.” Tony stated blandly as he withdrew a business card from the back of his notepad and handed it to the irate woman “That’s the number for the lawn care services provided on the base, call them and they’ll come out and cut your lawn… It’s free of charge and a weekly service.” Tony informed her with a smile on his face.

 

The pregnant woman snatched the business card from Tony’s fingertips, snagged the citation off of her door and then proceeded to slam the door in Tony’s face “You’re welcome!” Tony shouted through the door before turning on his heel in order to head back to his Humvee, he smirked when he saw his brother leaning against the Humvee, holding two paper cups of coffee.  Tony jogged across the street and took the cup from Jethro’s hand “Following me around?” Tony asked as he greedily sipped at the drink in his hands.

 

Jethro shook his head and sipped his coffee “Not following you around… What’s wrong with the pregnant woman?” Jethro asked, nodding his head toward the house that Tony just came from.

 

Tony snorted a small laugh “She’s upset because I told her that her lawn was overgrown… Only to get more upset when I told her about the free lawn care service provided to all on-base housing units.” Tony said with a shrug and a sip of his drink “So what’s going on?  You’re not usually following me around on base.” Tony questioned and then lifted an eyebrow “And you’re usually over at Parris Island, so what’re you doing here at Beaufort?” Tony asked curiously, looking over at Jethro.

 

Jethro grumbled in frustration “Jesus, Tony… Were you always this suspicious of my motives when we were working together?!” Jethro snapped, glaring at his little brother over the lid of his coffee cup.

 

Tony nodded into his cup, mostly to smother his smile “Always.” Tony confirmed as he tore the lid off his cup and swallowed down the remaining contents, he then tossed his cup on the front seat of his Humvee and stretched his back out “Are you going to tell me why you’re here or are we just going to continue this back and forth?” Tony asked again, starting to get impatient with his brother’s avoidance of the question.

 

Jethro shook his head “I’d love to continue the back and forth but we have our work cut out for us…” Jethro said as he tossed his own empty cup into the front seat of Tony’s Humvee and then beckoned his little brother over to his own car “Ziva contacted me earlier today and told me that Jen is itching to move on her little plan of extermination…” Jethro said quietly as he leaned into his car and pulled out a small recording device “Now that I’m no longer with NCIS… She can’t track me like she has been…” Jethro said with a shrug and tossed the recorder to his brother.

 

Tony snatched the device out of the air and held it close, he pressed play:

**Jennifer: Ziva, it’s Jennifer… I can’t take it anymore… I want him back, he’s the only man I’ve ever loved.**

**Ziva: Jennifer, you cannot actually want me to kill his entire family?  He has a daughter, a son, a niece and nephew who were only born a few months ago!  They are children!**

**Jennifer: I do not care!  If they are dead, all of them… He will see that there is only one person that can truly care about him!  Please, Ziva… You promised you would help me… You promised that you would be my friend and do as I asked you.**

Tony growled deeply in his throat as he heard that sentence, his fingers clenching tightly around the recording device.

**Ziva: Jennifer, I do not know if I can fulfill your wishes… I cannot willingly kill children… They are too precious to the future… It would be wrong and against my beliefs…**

**Jennifer: Ziva… if you do not do this for me, I will find someone else who can.  Don’t make me regret bringing you to the United States, to NCIS!**

 

Tony inhaled shakily and shoved the recorder into Jethro’s chest “This has gone on long enough… I will not put my fiancée or children at risk because of this… this psycho redhead wants you back in her bed!” Tony snarled, glaring at his brother with venomous green eyes.

 

Jethro stepped into Tony’s personal space quickly “You think this is what I wanted!?  You think that I slept with her so that fifteen years later, she would try and make my life a living hell?!  Sure, I didn’t expect to have two kids, a niece, nephew, partner, sister-in-law or a brother… But regardless of all of that, I sure as hell did not expect for her to do all of this – even if I was alone!” Jethro snapped back, his voice quiet and deceptively calm, even if his eyes were a stormy dark blue color.

 

Tony took a deep, calming breath and released it slowly, he slumped against the side of Jethro’s car and ran a hand over his face and under his cover “So what next?  Do you have some sort of plan?” Tony asked, looking up at his brother from underneath the brim of his cover.

 

Jethro nodded and rubbed a hand over his own face “Oh yeah, I have a plan alright… Kill her and move on with our lives.” Jethro snarked as he pushed Tony off of his car lightly “We’ll discuss it when we get off duty… I have to head back to Parris Island before my recruits find out I’m missing.” Jethro said with a smirk as he slid into the front seat of his car and started the engine.

 

Tony shook his head as he watched Jethro’s car speed off before he got into his patrol Humvee and started the engine up, he glanced at the house he’d written the citation for earlier and saw the woman standing in the front window; Tony quickly pulled away from the curb, a million thoughts and worries swirling in his head and crashing together like little torpedo bombs.

 

* * *

 

 

Jethro twisted slightly in the high-backed chair, he was sitting in the hotel lobby and waiting for Jen to arrive – she had yet again agreed to come visit him, this time she was much less reluctant and had almost immediately agreed, after Jethro did a little wheedling and, even though he would never mean it, he did _‘apologize_ ’ for his behavior, told her that he’d made a mistake; the entire time he was on the phone though, his head was in Ducky’s lap and Ducky was gently combing through his hair.

 

That contact, that knowledge, grounded him in the fact that what he was about to do to Jennifer Shepard made everything okay – Ducky would support him, his family supported him, and even the few friends that he had made since re-enlisting in the Corps and had heard about what happened to his family, supported him in the fact that one way or another, Jennifer Shepard needed to be officially removed from her status as Director of NCIS.

 

Jethro caught sight of the red hair before anything else, perhaps finally figuring out why redheads were so attractive to him – they stood out in a crowd, made people turn and look their way… He could see that a few of the businessmen in the hotel lobby were already staring at Jennifer, her legs almost entirely exposed from the short skirt she was wearing; she always had to wear a statement piece, even back when she was a probationary agent, she always wore things that didn’t belong out in the field – Especially those god awful high heels.

 

Jethro stood up slowly and looked down at himself, making sure that his cover was still securely tucked inside his pocket and then made his way across the lobby and behind Jennifer, his heavy combat boots loudly slapping down onto the polished marble floor – it was definitely a fancy place, one he would be much more inclined to _not_ spend any time in, he hated posh living circumstances like this, even if they were only temporary.

 

Jennifer didn’t even so much as jump when Jethro’s chest touched her back, she gracefully turned around and unconsciously licked her lips as she looked him up and down from eyes to chest – they were so close together you could barely slip a piece of paper between their bodies “My… the military does do you justice, Jethro…” Jennifer said quietly, raising her hands and setting them on the strong pectoral muscles that were threatening to break the velcro lining of his fatigue jacket.

 

Jethro wrapped his fingers around Jennifer’s wrists, lightly pushing her hands back into her own personal space “There isn’t time for this – We have to talk, now… and not _here._ ” Jethro said firmly, his tone brokering no argument.

 

Jennifer nodded as she gently pulled her hands from his grasp “Alright, you lead the way then…” Jennifer said and then almost had to run to catch up with Jethro the minute the words came out of her mouth as he had turned on his heel and was already near the hotel doors.

 

Jethro silently drove through the streets of Port Royal – they already had a location set for this thing to go down.  Tony, Ziva, and a few buddies were already there waiting, even Kate had insisted on being there, leaving Ducky at home with all four children; Jethro felt bad for his partner, even though he was considerably younger now, he still struggled with children since he had never had any when he was going through life the first time, but unfortunately, everyone wanted to make sure that this nightmare was over; that nothing else would put a wrench in their plans for life.

 

Jennifer glanced curiously around the military base as Jethro drove through it, going in from the back gate “Why are we here?  Little early to be introducing me to your friends… don’t you think?” Jennifer asked coyly as she turned in her seat and set her hand on Jethro’s forearm, the one that was handling the stick-shift.

 

Jethro shook her hand off “Trying to drive here.” He huffed and then pulled a one-eighty into a warehouse lot that backed right up to the ocean; the turn had Jennifer’s head slamming back into the window of the car and that gave Jethro a bit of satisfaction, especially when her body slumped forward – she was blissfully quiet after that, being unconscious and all.

 

Jethro grunted with the effort of lifting Jennifer out of the car “Damn… You’ve put on weight.” Jethro muttered as he carried the unconscious redhead over his shoulder and into the warehouse where everyone was waiting for him – Kate, Tony, and Ziva were all sitting in chairs in a semi-circle “Sorry we’re late… The guest of honor had a little accident.” Jethro said with a grunt as he dropped Jennifer unceremoniously onto the other chair available.

 

Kate snorted a small laugh and shook her head “Looks more like a purposeful mistake on your part, Jethro… What’d you do?” Kate asked, unable to contain the giggles as she brought both of her legs up onto the chair and crossed them Indian style.

 

“I may have taken the turn into the parking lot a little too sharply… Happens sometimes when people I don’t want touching me, actually touch me.” Jethro retorted as he scraped another chair across the concrete floor and sat down on it backward, crossing his arms over the top of the chair and sighing “Now we have to wait for her to wake up…” Jethro said, lying his head over his crossed arms.

 

It didn’t take too long for Jennifer to groan, her head listing to one side as she started regaining consciousness, her eyes fluttered for a few seconds before they opened, “Wha… What happened?” she mumbled, her eyes glazed and dazed looking as she tried figuring out where the hell she was exactly.

 

Jethro snorted and lifted his head “You hit your head when I was turning into a parking lot…” Jethro said as he turned his head over to Ziva and smiled lightly “I think that you were the one who wanted to run this show, isn’t that correct, Ms. David?” Jethro asked in a polite manner, holding his hand out to Ziva.

 

Ziva nodded as she took Jethro’s hand and gracefully stood up “For a little while… I would be glad too… I am sure everyone else would like their fair chance… And I do know that you would like the big finale.” Ziva said as she walked over to Jennifer’s mostly prone body and wrapped her fist in the long red hair of her once best friend, she tightened and yanked Jennifer’s head back roughly.

 

Jennifer gasped in pain, her eyes clenching shut “Ziva…You… How could you?” Jennifer asked, her voice strained and filled with agony as her green eyes stared up into Ziva’s brown eyes.

 

Ziva sneered in Jennifer’s face “How could I?” she snapped, yanking Jennifer’s head again “HOW could I?!  You have been lying to me from the very beginning, you have used me and you have abused me!” Ziva snarled and tightened her fist in Jennifer’s hair “You wanted me to kill this man’s family, four kids, his partner, brother and sister, all because of your own petty and selfish needs!” Ziva snapped and banged Jennifer’s head on the back of the chair – it would never be enough to make her fall unconscious, but definitely dizzy and disoriented “You, Jennifer, are the one who betrayed me… Destroyed our friendship, or trust… How dare you ask ‘How could I’ when it has been you all along!” Ziva exclaimed as she rounded Jennifer’s body and slapped her across the face with the back of her hand.

 

Jethro, Tony, and Kate all winced when Ziva’s hand connected, drawing a minuscule amount of blood from Jennifer’s mouth.  Jennifer spat the blood from her mouth onto the ground and glared at Ziva “I brought you to this country, I made you who you are!” Jennifer growled, trying to fight the rope that was binding her to the chair.

 

Ziva laughed darkly and grabbed the back of Jennifer’s head again, tilting her head up so they were looking into each other’s eyes “You may have brought me here, under false claims.  Wanting me to become an American Citizen to join NCIS – All falsehoods for your own personal gain… But to say you made me who I am?  Sorely incorrect – My father made me the woman I am today, let's not forget that.” Ziva snarled as she released Jennifer’s head and delivered another jaw-cracking slap across her face.

 

Jennifer groaned in pain, her jaw and teeth aching miserably as she blankly stared up at Ziva, tears filling her green eyes but she refused to let them fall.  Ziva had had enough of the woman and returned to her seat, crossing her arms over her chest and huffing out a heavy breath “Someone else want to play?  I’m quite tired of people lying to me and using me.” Ziva questioned, glancing at the three other people sitting around her.

 

Tony and Kate both shook their heads and then looked down the line at Jethro, who was deceptively calm, despite his fists being clenched tightly against his sides and his nostrils flaring every time he breathed out “Jethro, we don’t have to do this – There are other ways of bringing her down.” Tony said in a reasonable manner, even though he knew that Jethro had already made up his mind months ago.

 

Jethro shook his head and pushed himself out of the chair, swinging his leg over the back of it and plating his combat boots firmly on the concrete “She’ll keep trying… That’s what she does when she wants something… Persistence is her thing!” Jethro snapped, pointing in Jennifer’s direction – she was barely conscious again from Ziva’s devastatingly strong hand connecting with her face and the obvious pain coursing through her face was making it hard to hold on.

 

Tony stood up at that point “Then… There’s one thing left we have to do.  The only question is – How do you do it without leaving so much as a mark on her?  I know you won’t hit a woman so what are your other options?” Tony asked as he looked into his brother’s eyes, seeing nothing but determination for the death of this woman.  Jethro pulled out a vial of clear liquid and grinned “Okay… What’s that?” Tony asked curiously as he sat back down and crossed one leg over the other, slinging his arm over the back of Kate’s chair.

 

Jethro sighed as he put the vial back in his pocket and then withdrew a pair of gloves and four medical masks, “Polonium… Don’t inhale, don’t touch – We need to leave and give it a few minutes before the air is cleared after opening this – You guys don’t have to stay in here if you don’t want too…” Jethro said, holding out the three masks.

 

Kate and Tony stood up at that point but Ziva took the mask and slid it over her nose and mouth “We will be outside waiting.” Tony said as he took Kate’s hand and led her out of the warehouse.

 

Jethro nodded as he watched Tony and Kate walk away – he didn’t begrudge them for that, he wanted his family safe from harm, their best option was to leave, he knew he’d never be able to convince Ziva of leaving, he hated that but would have to deal with it later.  Jethro pulled the mask over his own face and snapped the gloves onto his hands before retrieving the vial of Polonium again, he slowly twisted the top off and Ziva stood behind Jennifer at that point, tilting her head back and forcing her mouth to open – not that it was difficult.

 

Jethro took a slow breath before he placed the vial at Jennifer’s mouth and dumped the liquid down her throat; Ziva snapped Jen’s mouth shut and forced the liquid to digest properly.  Jennifer coughed slightly but gave no outward signs of immediate poisoning “How long does it take?” Ziva asked curiously, looking up at Jethro.

 

Jethro shrugged as he put the lid back on the vial and shoved it in his pocket “Three weeks at best – It’ll give her enough time to get home and square away her affairs.” Jethro said as he looked down sadly at Jennifer and shook his head “I wish it hadn’t come to this Jen… But you gave us no other option, no other choice…” Jethro whispered before he looked back up at Ziva “I know you don’t want to leave, Ziver, but stay with her… Be there for her, and when it's done… Come back to us.” Jethro said as he moved around Jennifer and snapped off his gloves before setting his hand on the side of Ziva’s neck, lightly rubbing the smooth flesh of her throat with his thumb.

 

Ziva swallowed hard and nodded her head, her dark eyes growing darker for the briefest of moments before she pulled away from Jethro and looked down at Jennifer with a disgusted look on her face – not about Jethro’s actions, but with the woman herself “I promise to return…” Ziva whispered before she slit the ropes at Jennifer’s wrists and ankles then hoisted the semi-conscious woman up and carried her toward the exit.

 

Jethro followed but only to be stopped by a pair of cold green eyes staring at him “We’ll discuss it later.” Jethro said as he moved around Tony and headed to his car; Tony followed and got into his own vehicle, they would be convoying out of the base and hoped that they would be able to get Ziva out without trouble from the guards on duty at the gates; it hadn’t been hard getting them in, but out was a different story.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony sat down on the back porch with Jethro and stared up at the moonlight filtering through the trees; Ziva had called an hour ago stating that she and Jennifer had made it safely back to DC and were on their way to Jennifer’s home to start the process of getting her will and everything else in order – she would be resigning from the Agency tomorrow, citing an incurable and rapidly killing disease as her reason for resignation, and if everything went as planned, no one would have to deal with the likes of one Jennifer Shepard again.

 

Jethro sighed and leaned his head back, closing his eyes and trying to find a way out of the inevitable conversation he knew was about to take place “Do you love her?” Tony whispered into the darkness, clasping his hands together and staring at the darkened profile of his brother’s face.

 

Jethro sighed even louder and rubbed his face tiredly, he knew they weren’t talking about Jennifer; it would have been an easy answer if they were, quick with no hesitation, a bold NO.  But, they were talking about Ziva David… And for some reason, the woman was quick to steal under his skin and slow to remove herself, not that he really wanted her to do that “I don’t know…” Jethro whispered, despite his heart and head both screaming at the tops of their lungs that he did, in fact, love the woman, he didn’t know how he had fallen so quickly, she wasn’t even a redhead, but then again neither was Ducky and he had been seduced by the allure that Ducky had exuded.

 

Tony shook his head and snagged the bottle of bourbon that was sitting on the porch floor, taking a strong swig of it and then cradling the bottle in his hands “What about Ducky?” Tony asked quietly, he couldn’t even look at Jethro right now, not without wanting to smash the bottle of bourbon over Jethro’s head.

 

Jethro shrugged as he snatched the bottle back from Tony and drank down some of its contents before setting it back between them “Ducky already knows about this… We’ve discussed it at length, and we’ve come to an agreement…” Jethro sighed and rubbed his head slowly, feeling the beginnings of a good buzz coming on.

 

Tony turned at that “What agreement?  He going to stick around, be your fuck-buddy when you need a tight ass to pound and then go back to blissfulness with Ziva when you’re done?!” Tony spat angrily, standing up from the outdoor couch and glaring down at his brother.

 

Jethro shook his head but before he could say anything, Ducky joined them on the back porch “No, Anthony… I am leaving.  It’s been a long time coming for this, I knew that Jethro had fallen out of love with me… Well before Ziva came into our lives.  It was an inevitable course, and we tried making it work for years but…” Ducky shrugged his shoulders and sighed sadly “I too, have fallen out of love with him… And we are both going our separate ways before either of us make a mistake that we would soon regret.” Ducky finished and hoisted the duffle bag higher up on his shoulder.

 

Tony looked between the two men, his mind warring with his emotions “What about Tim?  And Kate?  The twins?  Abby?!  We all need you, Ducky!  You… You can’t just leave.” Tony questioned, his voice breaking a little; he knew he sounded hysterical and hated that he couldn’t control the emotions rampaging through his body.

 

Ducky smiled ruefully “Timothy will be staying here – it is the best for him, I was not cut out for fatherhood… Not unlike Jethro, he was made for being a parent – I was not, never had been… I’ve already had legal documents drawn up for Jethro to take legal custody of him… You, Caitlin, the twins, and Abigail will all be just fine without me, Anthony… And, I will still be around; only twenty minutes away in fact.” Ducky said with a more genuine smile as he stepped over the threshold of the patio door and stood closer to Tony, setting his hand on the younger man’s shoulder and squeezing “It was not an easy decision, nor did we make it lightly, Anthony… But this is the best, for all of us… Do not despise or hate your brother for it, we made this decision together, more me than him.” Ducky’s tone was regretful as he looked down at Jethro.

 

Jethro nodded but remained silent, his gaze locked forward as he tried not letting his own emotions get the better of him; he would always have a special place in his heart for Ducky, they were friends before anything and would always remain friends.  Ducky set his hand on Jethro’s shoulder and squeezed “It’s my decision to leave, and I do hope that you invite me to the wedding still, Anthony.” Ducky said as he looked at Tony.

 

Tony sniffled as he quickly enveloped Ducky in his arms “Of course you’re still invited… You’re Kate’s father, on paper, and she wants you to walk her down the aisle, as we’ve planned… You leaving has no bearing on our wedding plans… I just, I hope you find happiness out there, Ducky… and don’t ever be a stranger.” Tony whispered as he released the older man and sighed heavily before turning and bracing his hands on the porch railing.

 

Ducky patted Tony’s back lightly “I won’t become a stranger to you or the rest of the family… Just respect that I need some time to get myself back together… I will be around if you ever need me.” Ducky said before he turned, he looked down at Jethro before hiking the bag higher up on his shoulder; he headed back to the house and then out the front door.

 

Tony stayed where he was until he heard Ducky’s Morgan start up and pull out of the driveway “He fell out of love with you first…” Tony whispered as he collapsed into the porch couch again, holding his head between his palms and rubbing at the short hairs on his head vigorously, as if that would stop the thoughts from swirling in his mind.

 

Jethro nodded as he grabbed the bottle of bourbon again, “Yeah… He met a professor at Webster that and I quote ‘ _Tickled his fancy_ ’” Jethro said, making the air quotes with the bottle of bourbon still tightly gripped in his hand “They would work late together… One thing led to another… but, he stopped it before it went _that_ far… admitted that they shared a few too many kisses between grading papers.” Jethro was growing angrier by the second, his teeth gritting together almost painfully.

 

Tony shook his head and blew out the last vestiges of anger he held toward Jethro “So… You and Ziva never… when you would meet up with her to go over the information she was providing?” Tony questioned curiously as he looked at his brother’s profile again.

 

Jethro shook his head vehemently “I’ve never cheated on any of the people I’ve been with, male or female, even if my body was so inclined… I’ve been cheated on plenty enough times to know the signs – I saw those signs in Ducky months ago… The pulling away, less love… It pained me and I confronted him, and he told me everything.” Jethro said quietly as he uncapped the bourbon again and swallowed down several more sips than he probably should have.

 

Tony sighed as he took the bottle away from Jethro and the cap, resealing the bottle and setting it aside, far out of his brother’s reach “Go to bed, Jethro… You’re already working on a decent drunken haze… You don’t need to get hammered…” Tony said as he stood up again and then hoisted Jethro up onto his feet and steered him toward the house.

 

Jethro nodded and turned to his brother, pulling him into a tight embrace “Don’t hate Ducky for what he did… Like he said, it was an inevitable course for us – We knew it wouldn’t last long… it was infatuation at best.” Jethro whispered into his brother’s ear before releasing Tony and staggering his way inside and into the master bedroom.

 

Tony sighed as he grabbed the bottle of bourbon and headed toward his own portion of the house, his mind yet again swirling with worry and thoughts; he wondered if he would ever get out of this perpetual tail-spin of over-thinking things.  He was pissed that Ducky had betrayed Jethro, he was pissed that Jethro let it happen, he was pissed that he hadn’t caught on sooner, but he couldn’t change the course that everyone was on, he could only be there to support his brother and try to support Ducky with his life choices as well, although it would be a tough pill to swallow; he also hoped that Ziva would be a good match for Jethro, if they ever got to that point – He saw the look in Ziva’s eyes, the look in Jethro’s eyes earlier that day in the warehouse, he could see the deep connection that they shared, the look of love in Jethro’s and Ziva’s eyes, he just hoped that it would work out for them.


	13. Chapter 13

Three weeks, as predicted, had gone by since Jethro had poisoned Jennifer Shepard; Ziva had called late that night to say that she had passed away after extremely painful and rather satisfying final hours.  Now Ziva was back in South Carolina, with the news that she had officially quit NCIS and had already started applying for the US Citizenship test that would give her permanent residence in the States.  There was a new director at NCIS, and no one in the family rightfully cared about who he was, it no longer mattered – Nobody had connections to NCIS anymore except for the rare friend or two that had remained in contact.

 

Tony and Kate had finally settled on a permanent date for their wedding and the preparations for that were in full swing and everything was almost set-up to perfection; the only thing that Tony was having trouble with was deciding if he wanted to wear his dress blues or the tuxedo that they had picked out a year ago for this occasion.

 

Kate sighed as she stood behind Tony and slid her hands around his trim waist and into his tank top, lightly rubbing his abdominal muscles “Wear the dress blues… I find them to be quite sexy on you.” Kate whispered as she lightly kissed the center of Tony’s back and then rested her cheek on his shoulder blade.

 

Tony smiled as he slid his hands down Kate’s arms and into his own shirt, linking their fingers together against his stomach “Pretty sure dress blues look sexy on any man, Kate… Or, at least that’s what I’ve heard…” Tony said as he slowly turned around, but kept his hands with Kate’s, even now as they rested on the small of his back “Do you find that to be a true statement?  That every man who wears dress blues is like a walking God?” Tony asked quietly, his lips only millimeters away from Kate’s.

 

Kate nodded as she kissed Tony softly on the lips “Definitely a true statement, but no one looks nearly as good as you do in dress blues…” Kate whispered as she trailed slow kisses along Tony’s jawline, her fingers slowly slipping out of his grasp and up his muscled back.

 

Tony licked a stripe up Kate’s neck and then attached his lips to the sensitive flesh just behind her ear; Kate started moving rhythmically against his body, but before they could go any further, double piercing wails echoed through the house, signaling that their four-month-old twins were awake from their naps and in need of attention.  Kate reluctantly pulled away with a sigh “Reserve that for later then…” Kate said as she started toward the nursery.

 

Tony followed and grimaced as the putrid smell of baby poo permeated his senses “Gross babes…” Tony gagged as he lifted London up from her crib while Kate did the same with Landon “What did you two eat?  Sneaking rotten eggs during nap time?” Tony asked as he laid London down on her changing table and unsnapped the onesie.

 

Kate laughed as she laid Landon down on the other side of the changing table and undid his onesie as well “I think we would have known about the rotten eggs…” Kate said as she grimaced while undoing Landon’s diaper, balled it up and dropped it into the odor-blocking trashcan.

 

Tony tossed London’s soiled diaper in after that and shook his head as they both began cleaning and powdering, then re-diapering “I think feeding you mommy’s yummy breastmilk is making weird things happen to your bellies… Should just stop feeding it to you.” Tony said as he lifted London up against his chest and lightly swayed side to side with his little girl.

 

Kate snorted as she watched London open her toothless mouth and start gnawing at Tony’s shirt “Does daddy even have any breastmilk to provide for our daughter?” Kate teased as she sat down on the rocking chair with Landon still in her arms.

 

Tony shook his head as he settled London down in her crib, she whimpered from losing her daddy while he lifted Landon from Kate’s arms so she could take her own tank top off; he then settled Landon back down and collected London, settling her in Kate’s opposite arm “Daddy may have a larger chest, but he certainly doesn’t have any milk to spare…” Tony said as he sat down on the ottoman in front of the rocker and lightly rubbed both of the infants on their heads.

 

Landon and London still had exceptionally long hair, thick and softer than anything they had ever felt before.  Kate giggled and Tony looked up at her curiously “Daddy’s chest is only for my sucking pleasures… No one else.” Kate whispered as she leaned forward slightly, and Tony leaned in to meet Kate, sharing small kisses as their twins sucked contentedly on Kate’s breasts, getting their fill of their afternoon snack.

 

When both twins released her breaths with tiny audible little pops and smackings of their lips, Tony smirked as he collected Landon and hoisted his son up onto his shoulder while Kate did the same with London – it was a synchronized act, that had been perfected over the course of four months; they patted and soothed the child they were holding until little burps of satisfaction sounded in their ears and then Tony stood up, held his arm out to Kate and pulled her up from the rocking chair.

 

Tony and Kate both stopped in the living room and settled London and Landon in their swings, turning them on to a low setting and smiling as they watched their two little ones babble wordlessly and tried to bat at the little dangling toys on the top part of the swing sets “So, you’re absolutely certain you want a formal military wedding at the church?” Tony asked as he wrapped his arms around Kate’s waist and guided her over to the couch, pulling her down into his lap and rubbing his hand across her thigh slowly.

 

Kate nodded as she laid her head on Tony’s shoulder “Absolutely.  I know that I want to get married in a church… Despite you not being a devoted Catholic anymore, it seems wrong not to do it that way… As for the formal military part?  Hell yeah, I can’t wait for all that has been promised to us.” Kate said with a sigh as she lightly rubbed her hand up and down Tony’s chest, her thumb flicking over his nipple in a tantalizing and teasing manner.

 

* * *

 

 

The next day came quickly, their wedding day; Tony smiled as he stood on the balcony of the Saint Peter’s Catholic church, watching as the church slowly started filling up with guests – Jethro and three of his MP buddies, Jeremy, Nicholas, and Taylor were escorting guests to their seats; Ziva was already seated with the twins at her feet, cooing and playing with them.  He watched as everytime Jethro took someone to their seat, he would look up and Ziva would too, their eyes connecting from wherever he was in the room and they would both share a smile “She seems to be quite taken with him.” Ducky whispered as he joined Tony on the balcony.

 

Tony nodded and rubbed the back of his neck – Ducky had also brought his new partner, Professor Jason Keaton, to the wedding “Yeah… It’s different, to see him like that though.” Tony commented, nodding toward Jethro who was now standing with Ziva, one hand resting on her hip and the other on her neck since there was a lull in guest arrivals.

 

Ducky shook his head and smiled ruefully “He’s in love, deeply, I might add… He never looked at me quite like that.” Ducky said quietly, clasping his hands together and rubbing slightly “Makes one wonder… I suppose.” Ducky shrugged as he straightened up again “Nevertheless, it is almost time to begin the wedding; Caitlin is already dressed, I must proceed with collecting Timothy and Abigail, make sure that they are prepared to walk the aisle, and I too must prepare…” Ducky said as he started toward the staircase.

 

Tony sighed as he straightened himself up and headed down the opposite stairs and hallway that would lead him to the altar.  He stood at attention and watched from under the brim of his cover as the rest of their guests arrived and were seated by his four groomsmen, it was a quick affair and soon all four men were standing beside Tony; Jethro right behind him, although the older man’s eyes were focused on Ziva, and they both shared the same loving smile.

 

When the processional music started, Tony straightened up even further, his breathing was becoming ragged and his hands sweating inside of his white gloves.  Jethro smirked as he reached up and squeezed Tony’s shoulder “Easy, Tony.  Deep breath in, slow out…” Jethro whispered as he set his hand on the center of Tony’s back and began tapping out a rhythm that Tony knew all too well – sending him back to the time he had had the plague and Jethro would tap the Marine Corps Hymn out on his back to get his breathing under control after a particularly nasty coughing jag.

 

Despite his best efforts to breathe as normally as possible, his breath still caught in his throat and stuttered out when Kate came into view at the end of the aisle, hanging on Ducky’s arm and smiling as brightly as possible.  The white halter-top wedding dress adorned with a navy blue stripe going across her middle and around the bottom of her dress fit so perfectly with the rest of their décor and uniforms that he and almost every male in attendance were wearing – Even the bridesmaid and maid of honor were wearing Navy blue, adorned with gold strips across their waist.

 

Tony’s jaw hurt from smiling so widely as Kate and Ducky walked down the aisle and stopped just before the three stairs that would lead her to him.  The priest stepped away from his chair and stood at the podium “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here on this beautiful day to witness the union of Caitlin Rose Muscovy and Anthony Jethro Thomas in holy matrimony.  This is a day of great celebration and reverence, on which we come together before God to recognize and commemorate the sacred love and dedication shared between these two people.  It is wonderful to have family and friends here to join us today.  The bride and groom would like to thank their guests for being here, and would you to know that each of you were invited here on this day because you have played an integral part in their intertwining lives.” The priest started, smiling as he encompassed the entirety of the guests in attendance.

 

“As the Bible reminds us in Corinthians, ‘ _Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.  Love never fails.”_

 

“In the time that Caitlin Rose and Anthony Jethro have spent together, they’ve built the sturdy foundation for a lifelong relationship.  After a great deal of thoughtful consideration, they have decided to bind themselves to one another for the rest of their lives.  May you all remember and cherish this sacred ceremony, for on this day, with love, we will forever bind Caitlin Rose and Anthony Jethro.”  The priest then turned slightly toward Ducky and smiled “Who gives this bride today?” he asked.

 

Ducky stepped forward with Caitlin at that point, guiding her up the three steps “I do.” He said proudly as he transferred Kate’s hand from his elbow into Tony’s now waiting hand.

 

Ducky made his way back down the stairs and to his seat in the front pew on Kate’s side of the aisle, and then the priest was turning back to the congregation “If there is anyone in attendance who has cause to believe that this couple should not be joined in marriage, you may speak now or forever hold your peace.” The priest announced, his eyes scanning the people seated – It was silent for several minutes as the priest allowed people time to consider if Kate and Tony should not be married, but no one was forthcoming and he nodded in approval.

 

“Marriage is a sacred ceremony.  Today we observe the union of these two people with the respect the occasion warrants.  What we honor with reverence, however, we also celebrate with joy!  For married life – a shared life – is a tremendous blessing.  Now, as Caitlin Rose and Anthony Jethro embark on this journey together, they will be able to nurture a love that makes each of them better versions of themselves.  Marriage is, indeed, the perfect garden from which to sow and harvest personal growth.” The priest said to the guests before turning to Tony and Kate specifically.

 

“Caitlin Rose and Anthony Jethro, learn to work together, to laugh together, and to love together.  Don’t get caught up in worldly things that will draw you apart.  Instead, focus on your shared devotion and turn inward.  As your relationship strengthens, you will find that you come to share a remarkable love; a love that is both abundantly given and freely accepted.  The joy you’ll find as you pursue your shared lives will fuel you to face head-on the challenges you’ll encounter in your lives.  On your journeys together, keep your spouse in the space of highest priority in your heart.  The love you share must be guarded and cherished, it is your most valuable treasure.” The priest said before clearing his throat.

 

“Under the eyes of God, I solemnly consecrate these matrimonial proceedings and the sacred covenant you shall both enter into this day.  Marriage is an ancient rite.  As you enter into this union, you are choosing to take part in a historical human establishment and are pledging your commitment before the witnesses present here today to enter into that tradition with honor.”

 

“As Jesus said: _‘Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female_ ’ he also taught that: _‘For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.  So then, they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let no man separate.’_ ”

 

“Caitlin Rose and Anthony Jethro, the sacred vows that you make to one another today present you with the opportunity to express your love in your own words.  I would at this time invite you to publically declare these vows; Caitlin Rose, you may begin.” The priest said, and literally, everyone in the congregation turned to watch Kate.

 

“I, Caitlin Rose Muscovy, take you, Anthony Jethro Thomas, as my lawfully wedded husband.  To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer.  I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health.  I will love you and honor you all the days of my life until death do us part.  This is my solemn vow.”  Kate said confidently and loudly enough to carry through the entire room.

 

Tony smiled as he squeezed Kate’s hand lightly before clearing his throat “I, Anthony Jethro Thomas, take you, Caitlin Rose Muscovy, as my lawfully wedded wife.  To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer.  I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health.  I will love you and honor you all the days of my life until death do us part.  This is my solemn vow.”  Tony said thickly, the emotions of the moment clogging his throat quickly.

 

The priest nodded in approval again “Caitlin Rose and Anthony Jethro, please face one another and join both hands.” The priest instructed, waiting until they both did so “Under the eyes of God, Caitlin Rose Muscovy, do you take Anthony Jethro Thomas to be your lawfully wedded husband?  By making this commitment, you are joining in the sacred covenant of marriage.  Do you promise to honor him in love, to be sensitive to his needs, to comfort him in difficulty, and to put your full and complete trust in him, so long as you both shall live?” the priest asked, looking directly at Kate as he spoke.

 

Kate nodded vehemently and squeezed both of Tony’s hands “Absolutely.  I do.” Kate whispered the first part and then said the second part louder, for everyone to hear.

 

The priest then turned to Tony “Under the eyes of God, Anthony Jethro Thomas, do you take Caitlin Rose Muscovy to be your lawfully wedded wife?  By making this commitment, you are joining in the covenant of marriage.  Do you promise to honor her in love, to be sensitive to her needs, to comfort her in difficulty, and to put your full and complete trust in her, so long as you both shall live?” The priest asked as he looked down at Tony.

 

Tony nodded almost a little too enthusiastically as he squeezed Kate’s hands “I do!” he exclaimed, grinning and blushing at the loudness of his own voice in the nearly silent chapel.

 

The priest had to stifle a small chuckle before he proceeded “To commemorate this union, you may now exchange rings.” The priest said and smiled as Tim carefully walked over with the pillow and produced the two platinum bands – one smaller than the other as it sat on the white silk pillow.  Tony and Kate each grabbed their respective ring for their partner and held it in their fingers “The circle formed by each ring symbolizes your eternal love and commitment to one another.  Let these rings remind you always of that love, and of the promises, you have made here on this day.  Will each of you please repeat after me as you place the ring on your loved one's hand?” The priest requested, watching as Tony and Kate nodded and settled the rings at the tip of their fingers, he then gave first Kate, and then Tony the lines they would say to one another.

 

“I, Caitlin Rose Muscovy, give you Anthony Jethro Thomas this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment.  With this ring, I thee wed.” Kate said, smiling happily as she slid the ring up to the base of Tony’s right ring finger.

 

Tony smiled as the weight of his finger immediately changed with the newly added ring, it felt so perfect and smooth against his skin “I, Anthony Jethro Thomas, give you Caitlin Rose Muscovy this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment.  With this ring, I thee wed.” Tony said as he slowly slid the ring up Kate’s finger, pushing together her engagement ring and wedding ring.

 

“By the power vested in me, by the Saint Peters Church of Beaufort and by the state of South Carolina, I pronounce you, Caitlin Rose and Anthony Jethro, as wife and husband, lawfully wedded before God.” He proclaimed to a quick round of applause from everyone gathered there; once it quieted down again the priest smiled “Anthony Jethro, you may now kiss the bride, forever sealing your union!” he announced and took a step back.

 

Tony immediately stepped into Kate’s personal space, slowly lifting the small facial veil that had thus far been covering her face and smiled as he set one hand on the side of her face and the other on her neck as he drew her closer.  He bent his head and flicked his gaze from her lips up to her eyes, their breathes mingling in the air between them “If you don’t kiss me now, someone will say something.” Kate whispered as she held onto Tony’s wrists lightly, rubbing her thumbs against the pounding pulse points.

 

Tony inhaled deeply and smirked as he dove in, practically tongue first, into Kate’s mouth; their lips smashing together – several catcalls and whoops of joy filtered in the air, but neither Kate nor Tony cared as they held onto one another, their tongues caressing and swirling around each other, lips sliding easily against the others.  When Tony finally did pull back, he was flushed and breathless, as was Kate, their eyes locked together in silent communication as they still held each other tight “Wow… I thought kissing you when we were just dating was intense…” Kate whispered as she swayed slightly into Tony’s body.

 

Tony chuckled quietly, but before he had a chance to respond, the priest was clearing his throat and urging them to part “It is now my privilege and greatest honor to present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Caitlin Rose and Anthony Jethro Thomas!” the priest announced loudly, to yet again another loud whoop of joy, laughter, and loud applause.

 

Kate and Tony smiled as they kissed one last time quickly before making their way down the aisle, arms intertwined – several people cheered as they went along, and they were quick to exit the main part of the chapel and escape into the little alcove that they would wait in for everyone to congregate out in the front of the church.  Tony pressed Kate against the wall and kissed her deeply, his fingers digging into her hips for a brief moment before lightly skimming up her sides.

 

Kate gasped into the kiss, her fingers interlocking behind his head “Tony…” Kate whispered as his lips finally left hers, starting a blazing trail down her jaw and the side of her throat.  She could hear everyone walking past them, thankful that they were hidden in the cover of dark shadows in the alcove.

 

Tony breathed out deeply through his nose, resting his forehead against Kate’s shoulder as he held her body close to his “Never thought this day would come…” Tony whispered as he lifted his head and tucked a stray hair that had escaped Kate’s fashionable bun behind her ear “Never thought I’d actually get to call you my wife…” Tony added, his voice still a whisper as his thumb lightly caressed her cheekbone.

 

Kate smiled as she rubbed her thumbs against the sensitive patch of skin behind both of Tony’s ears “And I never thought I’d actually get to call you my husband…” Kate said with a sigh as she leaned forward and kissed him lightly “Going to be quite the change… Being Mrs. Anthony Thomas.” She said with a brighter smile as she glanced around the corner of the alcove – everything outside was nearly set up and she looked up at Tony “It’s almost time to head outside… You ready to show the world what an amazing married couple we make?” Kate asked as she kissed Tony again, softly, on the lips.

 

Tony nodded as he hugged Kate warmly “Oh hell yeah.” Tony said enthusiastically as he took a step back, took Kate’s hand and securely tucked it on his elbow before guiding her to the open front doors of the church.

 

* * *

 

 

Jethro sucked in a deep breath as he saw Kate and Tony stand ready at the top of the stairs “OFFICERS, DRAW SWORDS!” he shouted, being the highest ranking member it fell on his shoulders to be the command that led the Arch of Swords – All eight men standing on either side of the red carpet drew their swords at Jethro’s command, and pivoted them up into the air, a loud clink of metal sounding in the mostly silent area.

 

“INVERT SWORDS!” Jethro commanded loudly, and the eight men twisted their wrists so that the swords were now slanted sideways, the cutting edges facing up and into the sky.  Jethro smirked as he glanced up at Tony and Kate, giving them both a subtle nod that they were officially ready to receive them “Now presenting, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Caitlin Rose and Anthony Jethro Thomas!” Jethro shouted proudly, not able to contain the grin that spread across his face.

 

Kate and Tony descended the stairs and through the arch of swords, only to be stopped by Jethro and Jeremy at the end of the red carpet, their swords now positioned at their waists; Tony smirked as he turned to Kate and kissed her deeply, his thumb caressing the side of her neck as he pulled away and looked into her eyes, but not before he quickly flicked his gaze to Jethro.

 

Jethro snickered, mostly to himself, as he withdrew his sword from Kate’s abdomen and then quickly turned it to her backside and delivering a sharp swat to her rear end, “Welcome to the Marines, Oorah!” all eight man on the line rejoiced after Kate let out a sharp yelp and turned an angry glare on Jethro.

 

Tony laughed as he wrapped an arm around Kate’s waist and kissed her temple “You were the one who wanted a full military wedding – That just so happens to be a long-time ritual of such wedding.” Tony whispered in her ear before turning back to the gathered family and friends who were all smiling and clapping for the newly married couple.

 

Kate jabbed Tony in the side with a pointy elbow “You could have _mentioned_ that to me before we walked down the aisle!” Kate hissed but smiled as she and Tony finally stepped past the barrier of swords and were ensconced in the well-wishers who hugged and kissed Kate and Tony.

 

Once everyone had congratulated the new couple, Tony and Kate stood a bit away from the crowd; Ziva and Jethro showed up a few seconds later, each holding one of their sleeping children.  Jethro looked down at Landon and smiled as he jiggled the sleeping infant “You two forgot to very important people to get congratulations from.” Jethro informed them matter-of-factly as he gently coaxed Landon into waking up.

 

Tony smiled as he took a still sleeping London from Ziva’s arms and Kate took Landon from Jethro’s, holding their twins close to their chests and each other; a camera flashed somewhere just out of their range and they laughed softly as their twins blinked up at them, now fully awake and aware of their surroundings.  London puckered her lips up and gurgled slightly before turning her head against Tony’s chest and opening her mouth “Oh no you don’t.  I don’t need baby drool on my dress blues.” Tony said as he held London out at arm's length, making sure to keep London’s head supported with his fingers on either side of his daughter’s neck.

 

Kate laughed as she shifted Landon to her shoulder “They’re probably hungry.  They haven’t eaten since before the start of the wedding, and that was almost three hours ago – I’ll be in the limo, feeding them… And then we’ll head to the reception.” Kate said as she gently took London from Tony’s outstretched arms and held both of her children against her shoulders as she turned and headed to the limo in the parking lot – Ziva quickly collected the baby carriers and baby bag before following after Kate.

 

Tony and Jethro both turned at the same time, watching as the women of their dreams entered the back of the limo; they both had dreamy smiles on their faces “How in the hell did we get so lucky to find women like that?” Jethro asked rhetorically, hitching his thumb in the direction of the limo as they both turned around to the sound of Tony’s name being shouted from across the lot.

 

Tony shrugged as he crouched down and scooped up a running Abby, kissing her cheek and smiling “I don’t know how we got so lucky to have them… or any of our family in our lives.” Tony said as he tickled Abby’s side, igniting peels of laughter from the six-year-old.

 

Tim was the next to rush up, launching himself into Jethro’s arms and wrapping his arms around Jethro’s neck “I’m tired… Are we going home now?” Tim asked as he tried stifling a yawn in Jethro’s shoulder, but his attempt was unsuccessful.

 

Jethro sighed as he rubbed Tim’s back lightly and shifted the almost seven-year-old on his hip “No bud, we have to go to Tony and Kate’s wedding party… But you can take a nap if you want too.” Jethro said quietly as he continued rubbing Tim’s back.

 

Tim nodded tiredly and snuggled against Jethro’s broad chest, his hands now laying limp in his lap “Want too.” Tim mumbled before his eyes slipped closed and he was out almost as quickly.

 

Jethro chuckled quietly “Guess we should head out then… Going to be a long night ahead of us, and it’s only noon.” Jethro said as he and Tony turned on their heels and started toward the waiting limo – everyone else would be taking their own cars to the reception, leaving the limo for the immediate family and Ziva – Ducky opted not to join them in the ride though, and instead left with his partner.

 

Jethro watched for a few seconds as Tony and Abby got into the back of the limo, shaking his head in disappointment – he and Ducky had not been able to reaffirm the friendship that they had shared over the years; Jethro had been too upset and too stubborn to try and actually make it work, and while his growing love for Ziva was better than he had imagined, his friendship with Ducky was sorely missed, even if the betrayal stung deeply.  With a heavy sigh, Jethro quietly slipped into the limo and adjusted Tim onto one of the long benches, laying the boy out next to a very sleepy Abby who was trying to keep her eyes opened as she stared at Tony who was sitting across from her.


	14. Chapter 14

Tony and Kate smiled at each other as they were left alone in the backseat of the limo – Jethro carried a now sleeping Abby and Tim into the hotel while Ziva carried Landon and London in their carriers; they were having the reception at Port Royal Resort & Hotel – They had also all booked a room and had a babysitter waiting for them when they arrived so that everyone could party and not have to worry about the kids while they slept off their exhaustion – The babysitter agreed that once all of the kids woke up she would bring them down to the ballroom where the reception was being held.

 

Kate leaned into Tony’s side and smiled a little brighter as she set their ringed hands close and examined the glinting platinum bands that were now permanently attached to their fingers – at least she hoped, because she knew she would never take hers off, no matter how rough things got in their relationship “I love them, Tony.” Kate whispered as she turned her head up and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

 

Tony chuckled as he slid his arm around Kate’s shoulders and tugged her closer and pressed his lips to her temple “I’m glad you approve… Now, are you ready to go party hard?" Tony asked, waggling his eyebrows and smirking.

 

Kate slapped Tony in the stomach lightly but nodded with a smile “Yes, I am ready.” Kate said as she shoved Tony toward the door eagerly.

 

Tony laughed as he pushed the limo door open and stepped out, quickly slipping his cover onto his head before turning and offering his hand to Kate and helping her out of the backseat as well; together they walked arm-in-arm through the lobby, garnering several whistles and catcalls from those who were there – not apart of their guest list but well-wishers all the same.  Kate blushed as she gripped Tony’s arm a little tighter as they made their way to the elegant ballroom, “Wow…” Kate whispered as she peeked in through the slightly cracked door.

 

Tony smiled as he stood behind Kate and pulled the door open completely, revealing the gold and red décor of the ballroom; the song that beckoned their presence on the dance floor immediately started playing and Tony chuckled as he slipped his arm around Kate’s waist and led her out onto the floor as the beginning vocals of _Time of My Life by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warner_ began serenading them.

 

Kate sighed happily as she laid her head on Tony’s chest not adorned with all of the man’s medals and smiled up at Tony as they swayed around the room, completely oblivious to the couples that were dancing around them.  However Tony was not and he was staring at his older brother and Ziva as they slow danced together; Kate frowned and followed Tony’s line of sight “They are good for each other, Tony… Why can’t you let them be happy?” Kate asked softly as she rubbed her cheek against Tony’s chest.

 

Tony sighed and rested his chin on top of Kate’s head “I am happy for them… I’m just still trying to wrap my head around it – They’ve been together for nearly a month now and we haven’t heard them having sex once… What’s up with that?” Tony questioned, his voice barely above a whisper as he and Kate spun on the floor and then he was looking down at Kate, his back to Ziva and Jethro.

 

Kate laughed softly as she settled her hand over Tony’s heart and drew random patterns on his jacket “She’s a virgin, Tony… They’ve done _stuff_ but she’s never had anyone do _that_.” Kate said pointedly as she tapped Tony underneath his jaw that had popped open the minute she said ‘virgin’.

 

Tony shook his head and glanced over his shoulder “No shit?!  Damn… I never pegged her as a virgin… Wait!  How did _you_ find out about this?!” Tony asked indignantly, glaring down at his wife as they once again spun on the dance floor as the last notes of their first dance song died out.

 

Kate laughed again as she pulled Tony off the dance floor and over to the bridal table, but before they sat she leaned up to his ear, licking the shell of it briefly “Because honey, girls talk… And that just happened to be one of our conversations late one night when you and Jethro were out building whatever it was he was building.” Kate whispered before she sat down in her pulled out chair and smiled as she patted Tony’s thigh lightly when he also sat down.

 

Tony snorted and watched as most all of their bridal party joined them at the table, he glanced up quickly and caught sight of his brother slipping out a side exit with a giggling Ziva hot on his trails “Looks like we’ll be putting the food and the rest of the reception on hold…” Tony grumbled as he subtly nodded his head towards the slowly shutting door.

 

Kate giggled as she laid her head on Tony’s shoulder and rubbed up and down his arm lightly “We’ll get to the festivities eventually – perhaps we’ll open the dance floor up for guests right now… I know it’s not the way we had our reception planned out, but they should have their time… I think Ziva is about to make your brother one of the happiest men here.” Kate said with a knowing smile as she stood up and grabbed her empty wine glass and a fork, clinking one to the other to gather everyone’s attention “Before we proceed with the rest of the dances and dinner, we will be opening up the dance floor for anyone who would like to dance!” Kate announced as she sat back down next to Tony.

 

* * *

 

 

Jethro smiled tenderly as he set his hands on Ziva’s hips and she slid her hands up his chest and over his shoulders, interlacing her fingers behind his neck as the two slow danced a few feet away from the newly married couple “Tony keeps looking over at us – Why is that?” Ziva asked cautiously, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

 

Jethro shrugged as he rubbed soothing circles against Ziva’s hips as they swayed almost professionally around the room “He’s worried about me – About us… He thinks that this is just some quick… I don’t know… Lust-driven relationship…” Jethro said with another shrug as he laid his head close to Ziva’s head and smiled into her soft brownish-black hair.

 

Ziva shook her head as she threaded her fingers through the short black hairs at the nape of Jethro’s neck “I am not driven by lust to be with you… You know this, right?” Ziva asked quietly, her tanned complexion turning a beautiful shade of red as she gazed shyly up at Jethro, her long eyelashes fluttering down over her reddening cheeks.

 

Jethro nodded as he tightened his hold on Ziva and pulled her body closer to his “I know… Same for me, Zee… I love you.” Jethro whispered as he placed a tender kiss on Ziva’s cheek, then lifted his head up and settled his hand on the side of her neck, lightly rubbing his thumb up and down the smooth expanse of tanned skin.

 

Ziva’s breath caught in her throat as she stared up into the tender, slightly dilated, blue eyes “You do?” she whispered uncertainly, but she could see it written so plainly in Jethro’s eyes the love that he felt for her “I… I love you too.” Ziva whispered before she surged forward and kissed Jethro deeply and passionately.

 

Jethro growled deeply in his throat and thrust his hips forward “Let’s get out of here…” Ziva whispered as she grabbed Jethro’s hand and started leading him off of the dance floor.  Jethro chuckled as he spun Ziva around one last time and pulled her into his chest, delivering a knee-trembling kiss before pulling her toward the side exit of the ballroom and slipped through the door with Ziva right on his heels.

 

Ziva laughed as Jethro pinned her against a wall, her fingers tangling in his hair as Jethro attacked her throat with soft nips and kisses “Jet…” Ziva moaned as he bit down on her jugular roughly and then soothed over it with his tongue “Please… Please…” Ziva begged quietly as she wriggled enticingly against Jethro’s body.

 

Jethro lifted his head up from the delicate flesh he had been snacking on “Please what?” Jethro asked huskily as he cupped Ziva’s ass in his hands and pulled her closer to him, rubbing his diamond hard erection against her stomach.

 

Ziva moaned helplessly, clutching at Jethro’s shoulders and writhing against him “Make love to me, Jet.  Please…” Ziva whispered, opening her lust-blown brown eyes and staring at Jethro seriously “I want you to be my first and my last… I want no one else to be with me like that, but you.” Ziva said quietly but seriously as she cupped Jethro’s cheek and brought him closer before placing a tender kiss on his lips.

 

Jethro nodded as he hoisted Ziva up into his arms and nearly ran full-tilt down the hallway toward the bedroom he had booked for the day, knowing that it would be used for any reason – mainly that the kids had a place to sleep when they got too tired; he pressed Ziva against the wall beside the door and kissed her deeply “I love you, Zee… There is no one else for me.” Jethro whispered as he placed Ziva gently onto the floor before he pulled out his keycard and slotted it into the door, he pushed the door open and flicked the deadbolt over before he turned back to Ziva.

 

Ziva smiled mischievously when she saw the glint of danger flash in Jethro’s eyes “Don’t be easy, Marine.” Ziva whispered just before she launched herself into Jethro’s body, her legs twisting around his hips and her arms around his neck.

 

Jethro growled as he held onto Ziva’s ass as he turned and pushed his back into the door, swinging it open again; he reached one hand up to flick the deadbolt away before thrusting Ziva against the door and kissing her with devastating power, his tongue flicking out and lapping at her lips, drinking up the moans that were constantly pouring out of her mouth now.

 

Ziva pushed herself up and down the diamond-hard erection pressing at the center of her core “Jet… Please… I can’t… wait…” Ziva moaned out, her head dropping loudly against the heavy hotel room door as she convulsively gripped his shoulders, threatening to tear the threads of his dress blues.

 

Jethro groaned as he pulled Ziva away from the door and tossed her onto the king size bed in their hotel room “I… I have too…” Jethro waved aimlessly at his dress uniform, not wanting to destroy the pristine uniform any more than it already had been by Ziva’s hands.

 

Ziva nodded in understanding, smiling as she pushed herself up onto her back end and shimmied the scarlet red dress she was wearing off of her body, tossing it haphazardly in the direction of the floor; she now sat on the bed wearing just a pair of red undergarments.  Jethro groaned, pausing mid-movement on the buttons he was undoing on his jacket “Jesus Christ, Zee… You’re beautiful.” Jethro muttered appreciatively as he moved to the edge of the bed and kissed Ziva deeply before he pulled back and undid the rest of his buttons on his jacket.

 

Ziva giggled as she pushed up to her knees and slid her hands underneath Jethro’s shirt, slowly pushing it up, her fingernails raking and scratching against his well-defined abdominal muscles and pectoral muscles before she pushed it and Jethro’s dress uniform off his shoulders, she pulled the shirt over his head and smiled as the garments slid from his arms and landed in his waiting hands so they wouldn’t fall on the floor “You are not so bad looking yourself.  Quite delicious.” Ziva whispered as she moved forward and kissed one of the pert dusky nipples, grinning when Jethro groaned and the little bud immediately hardened under her lips.

 

Jethro quickly divested himself of his dress shoes and uniform pants, hanging them on the chair beside the bed, he shucked the confining boxer briefs and sighed in relief when his erection sprang forward, groaning when Ziva beckoned him forward with a come-hither look in her eyes and a wiggling finger.  Jethro moved without any real knowledge of doing it and before he knew it his knees were on the bed and he was following Ziva down onto the mattress, his arms wrapping around her waist.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony sighed as he saw Jethro and Ziva slipping back into the fray of dancers, weaving their way through the crowd and taking their seats – Jethro at the bridal table next to him and Ziva sitting at the table with the babysitter and the twins; it had been nearly an hour since Jethro and Ziva slipped out and they had had to go on with the reception without them “Don’t even.” Tony grit out when Jethro opened his mouth too, no doubt, apologize for the long absence.

 

Jethro sighed as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back, crossing his ankles underneath the table “What do you want from me?  I’m a man with needs… and a woman that beautiful, how do you expect me to resist when she’s offering _everything_?” Jethro questioned, not caring that his little brother had shut down his attempt at an apology.

 

Tony shrugged and dropped his head backward “I don’t know… Honestly?  I’ve been there, so I know how hard it is…” Tony whispered as he rubbed a hand over his face and tipped his head back up and looked at his brother “Was it worth it to miss the best man speech and dinner?” Tony asked curiously, tilting his head to the side and taking note of the scratch marks and dark purple hickey that was barely peeking over the high necked dress blue uniform Jethro was wearing.

 

Jethro nodded slowly, unsure how to actually verbalize his response, however before he had a chance a plate of food was delivered to him, as well as an ice cold Budweiser “Eat up, sweetness.” Kate said softly as she kissed the side of Jethro’s head before returning to her seat beside Tony.

 

Jethro eagerly dug into the steak and baked potato that was set in front of him, he paused only to take sips of the Budweiser and when the meal completely disappeared from his plate, he grinned “Thanks, Kate.  And in answer to your earlier question, it wasn’t worth missing the best man speech but everything else?  Hell yeah.” Jethro said with a smug smirk on his face as he stood up and nudged his brother with his elbow “I’ll make it up to ya… Promise.” Jethro said as he grabbed his plate and headed for the drop-off at the end of the buffet table for dirtied dishes.

 

The DJ announced that it was now time to commence the family dances, starting with the flower girl, ring bearer, bride, and groom.  Kate smiled as she stood and ran her hand across Tony’s shoulder “Come on, handsome.  Time to go dance with the little ones.” Kate said as she headed out to the dance floor and quickly caught a running Tim up into his arms, swinging the seven-year-old up and onto her hip.

 

Tony shook his head as he stood up and collected Abby on his way to the dance floor, he held the six-year-old against his chest, her feet resting on the sides of his hips as he swayed side to side as the song _You’ve Got a Friend In Me by Randy Newman_ bounced off the acoustic walls of the hotel ballroom.  Abby looked up at Tony with sad green eyes, her fingers nervously twisting the USMC pins on both sides of his uniform “What’s wrong, Batgirl?  You’ve been awful quiet tonight.” Tony asked as he continued swirling around the room with Abby, but at a much slower pace so he and his niece could have a proper conversation.

 

Abby sighed miserably and laid her head on Tony’s chest, her arms tightly wrapping around his neck, as if she were afraid to let him go “Are you going to leave?” Abby asked quietly, sniffling back the tears that immediately sprang up in her eyes.

 

Tony stopped dancing and stared down at Abby’s curly black hair – only done up for this occasion – “Why on earth would I leave?” Tony asked, completely flummoxed by Abby’s out-of-left-field question; Kate had walked over at that point with Tim and coaxed Tony into moving again so they weren’t being stared at for the weird pause in the dance.

 

Abby shrugged as she tried twisting out of Tony’s grasp, but her uncle held firm and continued swaying “Abby Girl, talk to us… What’s going on?” Kate asked softly as she shifted Tim around on her hip, noticing that he too had fallen silent “Tim?” she questioned, turning her attention to the seven-year-old in her arms.

 

Tim sighed as he clung to Kate’s neck “Abby and I are scared that… now that you’re married… you’re gonna leave… because that’s what married people do… isn’t it?” Tim asked cautiously, his bottom lip trembling and tears filling his sea-green eyes.

 

Kate and Tony sighed collectively as they soothed their hand up and down both Tim and Abby’s back “We’re not leaving the house – It’s our house too, kiddo’s… We’ll be around for a long time to come.” Tony said as he kissed Abby’s cheek and then Tim’s forehead “Nothing to worry about.” Tony added and smiled as the final notes of their chosen song finally faded out.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony set his hands on Ziva’s hips and watched as Jethro took a similar position with Kate a few feet away from them – Since Tony didn’t have a mother to dance with, the couple decided that a dance with Jethro and Kate, Ziva and Tony, would be more beneficial to their odd family dynamics and it was also a way of welcoming Ziva into the fold of their dynamics as well; they were soon dancing to _There You’ll Be by Faith Hill_.

 

Ziva looked up at Tony and frowned slightly “You do not like me very much, do you?” Ziva asked as she and Tony swirled around the room at a slow pace.

 

Tony shook his head “That’s not it, Ziva… I don’t know you very well, maybe but… It’s not that I don’t like you, I think you’re great.  So does my brother, and his happiness is something I gladly cheer him on for.”  Tony said as he tightened his hold on Ziva and spun with her briefly “You make my brother happy, Ziva, and that’s all I really care about; I don’t hate you, dislike you… I just would like to get to know you better.” Tony added as he twirled Ziva with one hand before pulling her back into his chest.

 

Ziva nodded as she glanced over Tony’s shoulder at Jethro “I love him dearly.  I have not known a love like his and it is very intriguing… Your brother, he makes me feel things I have never felt before and I do not want to jeopardize that.  If talking with you, and getting to know you, makes things better – I will do anything.” Ziva vowed as she smiled up at Tony and leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

 

Tony smiled as he kissed Ziva’s cheek as well “It would be nice to get to know you better but… That has no bearing on your relationship with Jethro, that’s you two’s thing by yourself – I’m just someone who lives in the same house as you and everyone else.” Tony said and smiled when a familiar hand grasped his shoulder and another familiar hand took his hand; it was time to switch their dancing partners and Tony eagerly went into Kate’s arms, but not before bestowing another kiss on Ziva’s cheek.

 

Kate and Tony, Jethro and Ziva, they all swayed expertly to the last crooning notes of the song and then it was just Kate and Tony on the dance floor, a few seconds later though and their very sleepy four-month-olds Landon and London were being carried out onto the dance floor by the babysitter.  Tony immediately scooped his little princess London up against his chest while Kate cradled Landon in her arms and smiled as she hooked one arm around Tony’s waist, Tony maneuvered London around and then rested his arm over Kate’s waist as well, putting their twins right next to each other as they began dancing to _You’ll Be In My Heart by Phil Collins._

Kate leaned forward and kissed Tony tenderly, tears were dancing in her brown eyes as she pulled back a little and looked down at their quickly fading twins “Two beautiful children, and our lives together… I don’t think we could have done anything better… Two years ago, I think things would have been great, but they wouldn’t have been this amazing… Had we still been adults.” Kate said quietly as she looked up at Tony, the tears now silently riding down her cheeks.

 

Tony nodded in agreement and lifted the hand resting on Kate’s hip to wipe away her tears with his thumb “Our lives wouldn’t be this perfect had we still been in our thirties and working at NCIS… one or both of us could have…” Tony shook his head of those thoughts, the reoccurring nightmare he’d been having while he was laid up in the hospital still went unmentioned to Kate, and even Jethro had no idea about it; the only person he ever told was Abby, and now that she was with the mind of a six-year-old, she also had no recollection which was a blessing.

 

Kate sighed as she reached her free hand up and traced the small lines creasing Tony’s forehead “We both knew the dangers of working as federal agents… Had one of us died, it wouldn’t have been the end-all-be-all, Tony…” Kate whispered as she cupped the side of Tony’s face as they continued to miraculously sway in a slow circle that was further putting their twins to sleep.

 

Tony shook his head again and captured Kate’s hand, kissing each of her knuckles tenderly “I don’t think I could have loved anyone after you, had you died, Kate… You’ve been it for me since the moment you laid your eyes on me.” Tony whispered as he turned Kate’s hand in his own and kissed her palm “You and these kids, Jethro, Abby, Tim, Ducky, and now even Ziva are the only family I have – Not including my father who seldom visits us…” Tony said with a pang of disappointment in his voice as he glanced out at the people watching him dance – they had, of course, sent an invitation to DiNozzo Senior, but he had never responded to the invite and certainly hadn’t shown up to the wedding, despite Tony having called and left several messages.

 

Kate tapped Tony on the chin lightly and then kissed him until he was smiling “Enough with this melodrama – I would like to round out this wedding reception with a big bang.” Kate said with a lascivious wink as she took Tony’s hand and guided him off the dance floor, both of them still holding their sleeping twins close to their chests.

 

* * *

 

 

The rest of the wedding went by quickly, and before Kate and Tony knew it they were being wished farewell and good luck as they took their exit from the hotel’s ballroom and were walking down the many hallways that would lead them to the Honeymoon Suite.  The twins would be staying with Ziva and Jethro at the house, while Kate and Tony had two days of a kid-free and work-free environment, and they both had plans of staying in their Suite for those entire two days.

 

Tony stopped Kate before she could get to the door and grinned as he slotted the keycard in, waited for the indicator to turn green and then swopped the love of his life up into his arms and kicked his way into the hotel room, carrying her over the threshold of their suite and then over to the large bed in the center of the one bedroom suite “I love you, Kate.” Tony whispered as he laid Kate down on the mattress and sprawled out beside her, his hand resting on her stomach.

 

Kate smiled as she took Tony’s hand and lifted it up to her lips, she placed a kiss on the back of his hand before dropping it to the mattress beside her head “I love you too, Tony… But, if we don’t get our clothes off… They’re going to be wrinkled and I really don’t want to deal with that…” Kate said with a wiggle of her eyebrows as she shimmied out from underneath Tony’s weight and stood up at the foot of the bed.

 

Tony pushed to his knees and crawled down the length of the Eastern King bed, he latched onto the zipper at the back of Kate’s dress and eased it down carefully, smiling as her tanned complexion was slowly displayed to him; he leaned forward and begin kissing each inch of exposed flesh while still unzipping “I like getting our clothes off, it’s the most favorite part of my day.” Tony said cheekily as he rolled off of the bed and then stood in front of Kate as he helped her ease the rest of the dress off her body, leaving her standing in a strapless bra, a white thong with ‘ _My Marine Always Hits The Right Spot’_ emblazoned on them and her white high-heels.

 

Tony laughed as he fingered the hint of fabric that covered Kate’s hairless crotch “These are nice.” Tony murmured appreciatively before he bent forward and kissed the bullseye mark on the panties, his tongue lapping out and soaking the fabric thoroughly.

 

Kate moaned and held onto Tony’s head as she rocked against him “Tony… Tony… Jesus… Your uniform… _has_ to come off!” Kate husked out, unable to contain the moan of pleasure that was ripped from her throat when Tony began expertly rubbing her clit with the tip of his tongue.

 

Tony growled in frustration as he ripped his face away from Kate’s intoxicating scent and stood up, he tried to hastily rip the buttons of his jacket but Kate stopped him and shook her head “You undressed me… mostly.  Let me.” Kate whispered as she leaned forward to kiss Tony before she started easing the buttons out of their eyelets, each inch of Tony’s chest was exposed in an agonizingly slow way, but Kate smiled as she kissed each exposed bit of his tanned flesh just as he had done her.

 

Kate slowly pushed Tony’s uniform jacket off, letting the material fall from Tony’s shoulders and onto the floor.  She smirked as she popped the button of his slacks and then pushed the zipper down with the tip of her finger, which subsequently put the digit in contact with Tony’s rock-hard cock.  Tony hissed in pleasure, his hips involuntarily shooting forward when Kate applied pressure to his cock “Kate…” Tony groaned and then whimpered when the pressure was taken off and his pants fell to the floor at his ankles.

 

Kate just smiled as she got down on her knees, she carefully eased Tony’s dress shoes off of his feet, tucking them underneath the bed, she then pulled the pants off one foot at a time, followed by his socks and then finally she pulled his boxers down his long legs and added them to the collection of his dress uniform, she placed a tender kiss on the head of Tony’s leaking cock before standing up “On the bed, Marine.  I’m gonna make sure you get your mandatory PT in for the next two days.” Kate said as she slapped Tony’s bare ass before taking his uniform over to the closet in the Suite and began hanging everything up.

 

Tony laid down on the _HUGE_ king size bed and groaned as he stretched his entire body out on the huge surface “Do you think our bedroom is big enough for one of these?  This thing is awesome.” Tony questioned, his eyes never leaving Kate’s impressively tight body as she moved around the room, still in her high heels and thong – although she had divested of her strapless bra while hanging up his uniform.

 

Kate shook her head regretfully as she grabbed Tony’s shaving kit off one of the chairs in the room and headed toward the bed “I don’t think it would fit in our room – it’s kind of small, the bedroom…” Kate said as she crawled onto the bed via her knees and then sat back when she was right at Tony’s hip.

 

Tony slowly slid his fingers up Kate’s thigh, tangling the tips of his fingers in the skimpy strap at the side of her hip that was keeping the thong in place “Sucks… I really kind of like this bed.” Tony pouted for a brief second, he grabbed his kit and tossed it to the side, before he grabbed Kate around the waist and tossed her into the fluffy mattress.

 

Kate squealed with laughter as Tony began kissing and tickling down her chest and sides, his hands and mouth were everywhere at once and she had a hard time not only breathing, but trying to keep up with Tony’s enthusiasm to have her on edge.  Kate moaned though when Tony’s mouth ended up going completely down south, his mouth reclaiming the slow-drying patch of saliva he placed there earlier “Tony…” Kate gasped, her back arching off the mattress as he pushed the barely-there fabric off to the side and swirled his tongue up her soaked folds.

 

Tony smirked as he attached his lips to Kate’s sensitive nub of pleasure and began greedily slurping at it while simultaneously rubbing his fingers along the wetness that had accumulated between Kate’s folds; his fingers teasingly slipping in and out of her hole and causing her to gasp, moan, and curse him all in the same breath.

 

Kate shakily grabbed the shaving kit beside her and unzipped it, she pulled out one of the gold foil packets and tossed it at Tony’s head “Fuck me… fuck… Oh god…” Kate moaned as Tony began tongue-fucking her and fingering her at the same time, causing her entire body to tremble and shake, as well as lift off the mattress.

 

Tony grabbed the foil packet, expertly tearing it open with his hands while he kept his mouth at work on tormenting Kate to the highest degree; he slid the rubber onto his cock and then with one last flick of his tongue over Kate’s now highly sensitive clit, he pushed up to his knees and crawled his way over Kate’s body “You sure you want me to fuck you?” Tony asked huskily, skimming one hand up Kate’s ribcage until he was able to hold her breast in his hand, he leaned down and nipped at the erect bud before swirling his tongue around it.

 

Kate nodded helplessly, clutching at Tony’s shoulders as she bucked her hips upward and into his protected cock “Please…” Kate whispered breathlessly as she hooked her legs over his thighs and pulled him down, the entire length of his cock slipping against her wet center; she moaned and continued rocking against him in an almost desperate manner.

 

Tony groaned as he grabbed his cock with one hand and pushed the other against the mattress, pushing himself up so he could see what he was doing.  “Easy…” Tony murmured as he slid the head of his cock in and hissed when Kate immediately clenched down and moaned out “Kate…” Tony growled as he nipped at her exposed throat and dropped his knees into the mattress and began lightly rubbing her quivering thighs “You’re too close…” Tony observed as he flicked his thumb over Kate’s clit and watched her helplessly buck upwards, his cock popping loose from her hole with the movement.

 

Tony sighed as he carefully hooked his fingers in Kate’s thong and, leaning down he kissed her abdomen, giving her time to ease back from the edge as he worked her thong down her legs and then undid the strappy heels on her feet, he tossed all three items over the edge of the bed and then lightly began kissing up Kate’s legs, giving equal attention to both of the long beautiful limbs, working his way back up toward her lips.

 

By the time Tony got to Kate’s mouth, she had settled down and was moaning softly as Tony licked her lips “I’m ready now… Sorry.” Kate whispered as she brushed her hand over the prickly small hairs on top of Tony’s head.

 

Tony smiled as he kissed Kate, reaching down with one of his hands again he guided himself into Kate’s still soaked folds and surged forward, sending his entire length deep into Kate’s body, causing her to scream out in pleasure, the hand that she had on his head digging into his scalp and the other on his shoulder as she trembled around him “Fuck…” she breathed out, her eyes clenched shut tightly as she rolled her hips, getting accustomed to the large cock that was unceremoniously shoved inside of her tight heat.

 

Tony pressed his forearms into the mattress next to Kate’s head, hovering over her and not moving an inch as Kate rocked against him.  Once she finally stopped, he breathed out a small sigh of relief “You good?” Tony asked, his voice husky and deeper as he looked down into Kate’s lust-blown brown eyes.

 

Kate nodded wordlessly as she slid her hands down his broad shoulders and her feet up his thighs, resting them just on the curve of his ass.  Tony grunted when her toenails scraped against his ass – he still couldn’t understand how his ass was so sensitive to her touch but enjoyed it nonetheless.  Tony lifted up a bit and reached behind his back to grab both of Kate’s hands, he intertwined their fingers and pushed them high up the mattress before he pulled his hips back and slammed forward again.

 

Kate cried out and pressed the heels of her feet into the firm flesh of Tony’s ass “Again…” Kate breathed out as she tightened her hold on Tony’s hands, and blinked up at him; before Tony pulled out and slammed forward again, her eyes slammed shut and she screamed out, continuously, as Tony continued pulling back and slamming forward, driving their bodies higher up the mattress with each near brutal-thrust.

 

Kate was screaming with each of Tony’s thrusts, her fingers digging into the flesh of his hands and her toes curling against his ass “Tony… Oh god!  Tony!” Kate cried out as her orgasm started barreling toward her at an unforgivingly fast pace.

 

Tony moaned loudly, his face buried in the crook of Kate’s neck as he continued thrusting forward “So close… So fucking close…” Tony muttered repeatedly as he slammed forward a few more times before his own orgasm took over and he cried out hoarsely, his cock erupting into the protective sheath of the condom.  Kate bit her lip as she writhed and cried out, her own release slamming into her.

 

Tony huffed out a breath as he slowly eased out of Kate and collapsed onto the mattress beside her, he collected the condom off his cock and tied it off before throwing it over the edge of the bed, not caring at all as he sprawled out and tried regaining control of his erratically beating heart and harsh breathing.  Kate was in a similar position, her legs stretched out and chest heaving with every gulp of air she tried pulling into her deprived lungs, her hand blindly reached for his and interlaced; simultaneously they turned to look at each other and grinned lazily “I’m riding you next.” Kate declared as she turned onto her side and snuggled close to Tony, hooking her leg over his thigh and rubbing up and down his stomach and chest.

 

Tony smiled as he slid his hand around Kate’s shoulders and rolled her on top of him “Good…” he breathed as she settled right on top of his reawakening cock, he thrust upward briefly and smirked when Kate bit her lip to stop the moan that threatened to spill out of her mouth.

 

Kate snuggled against Tony’s chest and sighed, “Still need to calm down just a little.” Kate murmured as she began drawing lazy patterns around Tony’s bulging bicep, her eyes fluttering shut several times, she was able to keep most of her yawns at bay but from the sounds of it, Tony wasn’t so lucky; he was yawning every few seconds and his body was sinking deeper into the fluffy mattress as it grew heavy with sleep.

 

Before either of them realized, exhaustion swept over both of them, they laid tangled in each other’s arms and legs, Kate still securely on top of Tony; Tony’s arms loosely wrapped around her back.  The events of the day still playing in their dreams; they both have smiles on their faces and contentment runs throughout their bodies at their close proximity, being married to one another had always been a long-living dream of theirs, and finally having that goal was relaxing and liberating.


	15. Chapter 15

Tony grunted as several pairs of knobby knees cruised over his chest and stomach “Landon… London… What are you two doing.” Tony mumbled as he opened his eyes and collected his two two-year-old toddlers and toppled them onto the bed.

 

Landon giggled as he pressed sloppy kisses to Tony’s cheek, London doing the same to his other cheek “It time to get up daddy.  It's Chwistmas.” London said as she sat up and slapped her hand down on Tony’s chest.

 

Kate sighed as she came into the bedroom “There you two are – I thought we agreed we’d let Daddy sleep for a little while longer?” Kate asked as she collected Landon up in her arms since her son was closest to the edge of the bed.

 

Landon squirmed slightly until he was adjusted on Kate’s hip, his feet resting on her pregnant stomach “Daddy hassa get up though mommy!  Is Chwismas and is ouw birfday!” Landon said, pouting his bottom lip out and crossing his arms over his chest.

 

Tony groaned as he slowly sat up and ran a hand over his face “I’m up… No sense in keeping them waiting any longer.” Tony said as he looked over at London and smiled softly, kissing his daughter gently on the forehead “Go with mommy downstairs, I’ll be there in a minute.” Tony said as he hoisted London over his legs and down onto the floor.

 

Once Kate was out of the room, Tony laid back down and huffed out a tired breath – Two years seemed like such a short time ago; they no longer lived in Beaufort, South Carolina, the entire family – Jethro and his growing family included – were moved to Spokane, Washington a year ago and were now actively working at Fairchild Airforce Base to incorporate a new joint-base operation – Since he and Jethro were both Military Police, they needed the extra man power to keep the two different military forces from biting each other heads off.

 

He and Jethro hadn’t gotten home until about three AM last night because of calls that seemed to go back-to-back with a series of fights breaking out over the Christmas Holidays; mostly it was just a bunch of drunk military personnel wanting to sling their weight around.  By the time they got home, both men were exhausted and then had to finish last-minute Christmas present wrapping for gifts that they had purchased throughout the day when they weren’t tied up with calls.

 

Tony rubbed a hand over his face and yawned widely as he slung the blankets off of his body, he wondered if Jethro had been greeted in a similar fashion by Abby and Tim, the now nine and eight-year-olds, and the latest addition to their family Domino, a retired German Shepard Marine bomb-sniffing dog that was older than most people wanted at the age of seven but when Abby and Tim had seen him at the shelter, there was no saying no to the twin pouts that were directed at them – it also didn’t help that Domino was only three days away from being euthanized because no one seemed willing to adopt an older dog; Tim and Abby were both thrilled when they came home from school one day to find Domino sitting on the porch.

 

Only four months ago, both Jethro and Tony’s life had changed however when the girls had announced that they were both pregnant and that they were only one week apart from each other – To say they were shocked was the biggest understatement of the century; he and Kate weren’t actively trying to get pregnant but it had happened anyway when one night their passion and love for each other had become too much and Tony had forgotten to wear a condom and Kate’s birth control had failed since she was just coming off of antibiotics from a cold she had had.  Jethro and Ziva were another story, they had been trying to get pregnant since they had gotten married a year ago, that was until Ziva had found out that she had polycystic ovarian syndrome; the doctor had prescribed fertility shots and a pill to boost her chances and within six months she had fallen pregnant.

 

Things in the Thomas household were definitely crazy, and Tony loved every second of it “Daddyyyyy!” he heard London wailing from outside the door, her little fist pounding on the wood – Kate must have locked the door on her way out.

 

Tony smiled “I’m coming sweetheart, just give me a second!” Tony called back to his daughter as he stood up and collected his pajama pants and a white undershirt, he quickly pulled both articles of clothing on and then opened the door for his daughter “See, daddy is right here…” Tony said as he swung London up into his arms and cradled his little princess close to him before kissing both of her cheeks.

 

London nodded satisfactorily and wrapped her little arms around her daddy’s neck, bestowing another sloppy wet kiss on his cheek “Mommy and Auntie Zee made breffast for all of us, and daddy… There are sooooooo many presents under the tree!  You _gotta_ see it!” London exclaimed as she bounced in Tony’s arms, urging him to get a move on without saying so.

 

Tony laughed at his daughter’s enthusiasm, he could so picture Kate being like London when she was a toddler – Their daughter was quite literally the spitting image of Kate, with her long brown-auburn hair and mischevious brown eyes; Landon, however, was exactly like Tony, at least in the looks department, he had brown-blonde hair with green eyes but his attitude was nothing that either parent expected, aside from this morning, he was well-behaved and well-mannered; they knew that he would probably grow out of it eventually, but they hoped he wouldn’t.  Tony sighed as he nuzzled his daughter's soft curls before he headed downstairs to find and join the rest of their family.

 

* * *

 

 

The breakfast spread that London had mentioned was _huge_ and sprawled almost the entire length of the kitchen counters; Jethro was sitting at one of the barstools on the island, nursing a cup of steaming coffee and soon a cup was set in his own hand, he joined his brother and they both clinked glasses before taking sips.  Jethro looked about as exhausted as Tony knew he felt and looked, it was a miracle that they weren’t sleeping in their coffee mugs.  Tony set London down on the floor and she immediately took off into the living room where her twin brother, Tim, Abby, and Domino were all playing, he then sat down next to Jethro and sighed tiredly, resting his forehead on the rim of his coffee cup.

 

Kate sighed as she rubbed her hands up and down Tony’s back soothingly “I promise you two can go back to sleep, just as soon as breakfast is finished and the kids open their presents.” Kate said as she kissed the back of Tony’s neck lightly and then patted Jethro on the back “Kids, come on – Breakfast and then presents!” Kate called, watching as all four human children and their one dog child came running through the kitchen and into the dining room.

 

Soon enough everyone was happily munching on the Christmas Breakfast spread, talking about the festivities that would be taking place today and then the twins third birthday that would be taking place over the weekend “I hope I getta bike, like the one we seened in the store!” London said as she shoveled a pancake square into her mouth and munched happily on the syrup-covered sponge.

 

Tony popped London on the back of her hand with the back of his fork “Mouth closed when you’re eating.” He reprimanded, leveling a glare on his daughter that would, hopefully, forestall any further arguments from the toddler.

 

London pouted as she munched on the remainder of her breakfast, and for a little while, everything was silent “I want a puppy.” Landon declared as he shoved his empty plate away, almost to the far edge of the table.

 

Kate stopped the plate from completely falling off and shook her head “We already have a dog, Landon… We aren’t getting another one.” Kate said as she stood up and began collecting empty dishes.

 

Tony and Jethro both stood at that “We got it.” They said, almost in unison, then grinned at each other as they began collecting the plates.  Tony kissed Kate sweetly on the lips as he took the plates from her hands “Go get everything in the living room set up, we’ll be in there shortly.” Tony said as he and Jethro started for the kitchen while the girls got the four kids and ushered them into the living room.

 

By the time Jethro and Tony got the dishwasher loaded up and headed into the living room – all four kids were sitting eagerly with piles of presents waiting at their feet; Kate and Ziva were also bombarded with gifts surrounding them and there were two more piles, clearly designed for Tony and Jethro to take once they found the right pile.  “Now, not all of those gifts are specifically for you…” Jethro said as he sat down beside his wife and set his hand on her rounded stomach, “Some are for this little one and you to share.” He said as he kissed Ziva on the cheek softly.

 

Tony nodded as he sat down beside Kate on the other couch and rubbed her stomach “Same here – Jethro and I spent a lot of hours working on them…” Tony said before turning toward the four eager kids “Alright, you may commence with the opening of presents!” Tony announced as he leaned back on the couch, pulling his wife with him and smiling into her hair as they watched Landon and London enthusiastically tear through the brightly colored gifts.

 

Peels of laughter filtered through the air, exclamations of surprise and then… the sudden loud screech of distress coming from London as she stood in the center of her wrapping paper, fat tears riding down her face “London, what’s wrong?” Tony asked as he quickly dropped off of the couch and moved closer to his daughter.

 

London sobbed as she collapsed against her daddy’s chest, clinging to his white shirt and staining it with the tears “I…I… didn’t… get…the bike…that…that…I asked…Santa for!” London sobbed out, climbing into her daddy’s lap and continued to sob.

 

Tony sighed as he leaned back against the couch and gently rubbed up and down London’s back, fighting hard with himself to try and come up with an explanation as to why their two-year-old had not received the bike she wanted “London, sweetheart… Maybe Santa thought that you were too young to have a bicycle.” Kate said quietly as she gently brushed her daughters hair off of her tear-stained cheeks – it was, in fact, the truth; the bike London had wanted was for children aged five-eight and London was less than enthusiastic about the tricycles that were for her age-range, she was determined and stubborn about wanting the two-wheeled bike.

 

Apparently, that only made London’s sobbing worse and Tony was slowly losing his patience with the toddler.  Tony stood up with London in his arms “We’ll be upstairs.” He bit out as he headed toward the wide spiral staircase that would lead them to the second and third level of the home.

 

Tony sat London down on her bed and then kneeled down in front of her – the toddler’s tears had subsided, mostly, and all that was left were the hiccups as she tried regaining control of her emotions and her breathing “Talk to daddy, London… Why did you want that bike so badly?” Tony asked softly as he rubbed his daughter’s knees lightly with his thumbs.

 

London shrugged as she drew her knees up and away from her daddy “Becca Michaelson has one…” London whispered, burying her face between her knees, a few more hiccupped-sobs escaping her as her brown eyes flitted up to her daddy’s green ones.

 

Tony shook his head and slid onto the small toddler bed, pulling his ball of a toddler up against his broad chest and holding her tightly – but not enough to harm her – “Becca Michaelson is also eight years old, London… She’s a big girl, which means she has to ride a big girl bike – You, on the other hand, my little princess, are a little girl and should be riding little girl bikes.” Tony whispered into his daughter’s soft brown hair and wiping away the remaining tears that clung to London’s cheeks and jaw.

 

London sighed wearily and bounced her head off of her daddy’s chest “Can we go back to the store and get the little bike then?” London asked, blinking away the tears that clung to her eyelashes as she looked up at Tony, her bottom lip pouted out.

 

Tony shrugged as he kissed London on her nose “Not sure, we’ll have to discuss it with mommy later – Maybe you’ll get it at your birthday party, which, is only a few days away.” Tony said as he stood up, hooking one arm underneath London’s legs and the other behind her back as he carried the now calm two-year-old back downstairs to rejoin the family.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony had just gotten into a decent REM sleep when the loud screaming of four children filtered up to the third level of the house “Uncle Ducky” and “Uncle Ben” being shouted through the house, signaling the arrival of Ducky and his new partner Benjamin Folley – they had recently gone through with a commitment ceremony, since gay marriage was still illegal and lived just an hour away in Couer d'Alene, Idaho.

 

Tony tried to stay asleep but even with a floor between him and the downstairs, the four kids excitement for more presents and Ducky-Time was overwhelmingly loud; he could sleep through seventy men snoring next to him, or doing _other_ things, but give him four kids and two illegitimate uncles and it was like World War III had descended upon the home, except there was no war, just a fight to get all the presents unwrapped in record-breaking time.

 

Tony groaned as he rolled off of his bed – an Eastern King that fit perfectly in the _huge_ master bedroom that he and Kate shared – and scrambled to find his discarded pajamas from earlier, once he slipped those on, he scrubbed his face and then headed down the stairs, following the sounds of his family into the large living room once again.

 

Kate sighed when she saw her rumpled husband stumble into the living room, almost tripping over one of Landon’s new _Lightning McQueen_ cars.  She slowly stood up and nudged the toy out of the way before wrapping an arm around Tony’s waist and steering him toward the kitchen “I’m sorry about all the noise – I tried to keep them quiet but… They don’t listen, especially where Ducky and Ben are concerned.” Kate apologized as she settled Tony down on one of the barstools, she then fixed him a mug of coffee and placed two aspirin down next to it.

 

Tony merely grunted as he dropped the pills down his throat and swallowed half the contents of his piping hot coffee “Jethro and Ziva?” Tony murmured, his head lolling forward and connecting with the coffee mug, letting the heat penetrate his forehead and soothe the headache that was forming behind his eyes.

 

Kate rubbed Tony’s neck with agile fingers “Upstairs sleeping… Ziva was exhausted and Jethro took her upstairs to run her a warm bath and put her to bed – They’ve both been up there for a while, so I can only assume he fell asleep as well.” Kate said as she moved her fingers up to the back of Tony’s head, massaging his scalp and temple.

 

Tony groaned and arched back into Kate’s hands “Wish I could still be asleep – Who knew that four kids and a dog could be so loud?” Tony asked as he dropped his head back onto Kate’s shoulders when she stood directly behind him and wrapped her arms around his chest.

 

Kate smiled as she kissed Tony’s head lightly “It’s only going to get worse when Ziva and I give birth – Eight kids in total…” Kate whispered as she rubbed her cheek against the short spiky hairs on Tony’s buzz cut.

 

Tony sighed as he reached a hand back and rubbed Kate’s stomach “Just my luck I’d knock you up with another set of twins.” Tony said as he spun around on the barstool and held Kate’s distended stomach with both of his hands, rubbing soothing circles on her swollen belly “Are my little guys treating their mommy good today?” Tony asked as he leaned forward, bestowing two gentle kisses on Kate’s stomach before looking up at Kate.

 

Kate nodded as she rubbed the side of Tony’s head lightly “They’re being very well behaved today.” Kate said as she wiggled her belly and then giggled when there was an answer of two wiggling unborns “Think they’ve been sleeping for most of the day too…” Kate mused as she rubbed her stomach curiously.

 

Tony sighed and dropped his forehead lightly against Kate’s stomach “Think I could crawl inside with them and sleep for just a few hours?” Tony asked; the exhaustion his sleep-deprived mind was going on seeping through his words heavily and causing a few of the words to even slur slightly.

 

Ducky clucked his tongue as he came into the kitchen “Perhaps you would rather a sleeping aide to keep you asleep, Anthony?  I have something that would greatly help if you were willing.” Ducky questioned as he began puttering around the kitchen to collect the container of Earl Grey Tea and his tea kettle.

 

Tony looked up at Kate, blinking his green eyes tiredly.  Kate kissed Tony softly on the lips “Take the pills, sweetheart – I’m sure that between myself, Ducky, and Ben, we can handle the kids and the dog.” Kate said as she tugged Tony up to his feet and then held her hand out to Ducky when the older man held out a pill bottle to him “This your prescription, Ducky?” Kate asked, even as she read the label on the bottle.

 

Ducky nodded as he began steeping his tea “Correct.  I am no longer in need of the medication but do refrain from using it too often, it is a very powerful sleep aide and could have lasting effects if regularly used.” Ducky said as he took a tender sip of his tea and then smiled “Off you go now, Benjamin and I will watch for the kids while you settle Tony.” Ducky said as he sauntered out of the kitchen and back into the living room with the four kids.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony sighed as he stripped off his pajama pants for the third time that day and dropped down onto the edge of the mattress, tiredly running a hand over his head and down his face.  Kate stood in front of him then, holding out one pill and a glass of water “I hate that I’ll be missing the rest of Christmas with the kids…” Tony said as he took the pill and swallowed down half the contents of the water before handing it back to Kate.

 

Kate sighed as she set the glass down on the nightstand and then moved to straddle Tony’s thighs, pushing her husband’s chest until he was lying flat on his back “The kids will be fine, Tony.  They have Ducky and his endless stories, and they have Ben and his humor to keep them occupied… You spent the morning with them, and that counts for something… We still have their birthday’s this weekend, and you should be plenty rested by then since you’re off until next Monday.” Kate said as she lightly flicked her thumbs over Tony’s nipples, smiling at the immediate response of Tony’s groan and his nipples hardening.

 

Tony shook his head and captured Kate’s wrist in a light grip “I love you, Caitlin, but I am so damn tired right now I don’t think my dick has any energy to wake up.” Tony said regretfully, rubbing his thumbs across Kate’s pulse points in her wrists.

 

Kate laughed as she leaned down as best she could and kissed Tony on the underside of his chin “Go to sleep, Tony… I’ll check on you periodically.” Kate said as she carefully lifted herself off of Tony’s body and then dug around in his nightstand and pulled out his wireless earbuds and his iPod “Maybe this will help…” Kate said as she handed all three items over to Tony and smiled at him before she shut the nightstand light off and headed out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her.

 

Kate sighed as she carefully ambled down to the second story of their home and quietly cracked open Ziva and Jethro’s bedroom door, the couple was lying on their bed, Jethro sprawled out at an odd starfish shape and Ziva was splayed practically across his chest, her pregnant stomach resting comfortably in the curve of his bare hip.  Kate shook her head and quickly but quietly pulled the door shut, not wanting to see her brother-in-law and sister-in-law naked like that again, but still had to smile at the love that the two had for each other; the past two years had been difficult, to say the least, the move from South Carolina to Washington State had definitely been a difficult change for the entire family but it was made easier when they realized that they would still be able to stay together.

 

Renting out the house in South Carolina was the easiest made decision, they knew that one day they would want to return to their beach-backed property in the marshlands of Beaufort, perhaps when Tony and Jethro had fulfilled their dreams in the Marine Corps, although Kate highly doubted that either man would want to retire until they were both well into their fifties, or even later.  The hard part of it all was leaving Ducky, although he did follow eventually, it was hard not having the beloved Doctor close by, and as Kate headed toward the living room, she smiled as she listened to her pseudo-father regal the smallest of their rapidly growing family with stories from a time when they were all working at NCIS – of course, Ducky was capable of replacing their names with other names, but it was his love for the children that hurt them all the most when he wasn’t around.

 

Sure, they all knew that Ducky was unfit for fatherhood – He had stated it many times that he was not fit to raise a child, which was one of the reasons he had left in the first place; No one mentioned his lack of judgement in starting an affair with a co-worker but that was the second deciding factor; however, that relationship only lasted six months after Kate and Tony’s wedding, but it was still a fresh wound that no one was willing to open up.  Ducky had, after that, decided that he would put dating on hold and had also quit working at the university to start working at the local hospital as a trauma surgeon since he also had a degree in that – the man had a degree in a lot of things, Kate had realized that she still had no idea how Ducky had all that time to pursue these degrees and wished she had his tenacity to pursue so many avenues of one field.

 

Kate herself had enrolled at Gongaza University and was pursuing the law degree that she had so desperately wanted when she was going to college the first time.  She was currently in her Freshman year at the University and by the time the school year ended, she would be a mother of four children.  Falling pregnant with twins again had been a serious shock to her and Tony and sometimes she was still shocked to find that she and Tony would be, in five months, welcoming two more children into their lives – They had found out only a few weeks ago that they were expecting identical twin boys and the thought of that had worried Kate more than she would ever be able to express; Having three budding Anthony Jethro Thomas’ in her life and one already mostly full-grown Anthony Thomas was more than enough to get her blood pressure skyrocketing to dangerous levels.

 

Kate was pulled from her musings when small arms wrapped around her leg and a pair of familiar green eyes blinked up at her with a small smile “Hey my little Prince, is everything okay?” Kate asked as she took Landon’s hands and easily swung the toddler up and against her hip.

 

Landon nodded and laid his head on Kate’s shoulder, his little hand immediately going down to Kate’s tummy and patting it softly and with affection “Everything okay… Just tired of Uncle Ducky story…” Landon said as he nuzzled his cheek against Kate’s shoulder and smiled tiredly up at his mommy.

 

Kate laughed softly as she carried Landon into the home entertainment room and sat down on the double-wide leather recliner “You also sound quite tired – Would you like to watch a movie and take a nap with mommy?” Kate asked as she lightly carded her fingers through Landon’s blonde-brown hair.

 

Landon nodded tiredly and snuggled close to Kate, keeping his little hand right on top of his two unborn baby brothers – Landon was the one who had taken the news of Kate’s pregnancy the best, he was ready to be a big brother; his twin sister, London, however, was not so ready to give up the position as ‘baby of the family’ considering she was the last born in the family.  Kate smiled as she pulled up the state-of-the-art digital theatre options on the large television set from the seat of her chair, flicking through the movies that were stored on the database “Christmas movie seems appropriate…” Kate whispered as she selected _It’s A Wonderful Life_ – Like Tony, Landon was highly interested in black-and-white classic movies, and this one had become a fast popular for the Christmas Holiday, given that Tony tried watching the movie _every_ night before they went to bed since December descended upon them.

 

Soon enough Kate was surrounded by both of her twins while Ducky and Ben each had a tired child in their arms – Abby was with Ducky, and Tim with Ben.  Halfway through the movie, even Jethro and Ziva had come downstairs to join them, bringing in large bowls of popcorn and several drinks to go around – the only person missing from the family movie night, unfortunately, was Tony who was still soundly sleeping upstairs, and although he may not have been watching the movie, he was definitely listening to it on his iPod.


	16. Chapter 16

Tony smiled as he pulled the two _Radio Flyer_ bikes off the shelf in the garage – One was in red, the other in powder pink – today they would be celebrating the twins third birthday and Tony paused as he set the bikes down, staring at them with an odd expression “Has it really been three years already?” Tony whispered as he sat down, rubbing a hand over his face and closing his eyes.

 

Images flashed through Tony’s mind – The frightening night that Kate had gone into labor unexpectedly, the brief moments it took for her to deliver both infants, their cries of distress filling the air from the cold that encompassed their tiny bodies… Everything had happened so quickly, their first steps, first words, first temper tantrums, hell even their first official time-out had happened so fast that it made Tony’s head spin – How had the years gone by so quickly?  Tony shook his head and stood up again, collecting the two bikes.

 

The birthday party was already in full-swing, several kids from the twins daycare were here and several neighboring children were all in the living room, laughing and talking – It was almost like watching miniature adults having a conversation, except for the fact that they were all on the living room floor, surrounded by junk-food and sodas.  Tony shook his head again and set the bikes down in the middle of the floor, whistling loudly to gain everyone’s attention “There is one more present for the birthday boy and birthday girl.” Tony announced, waving his hand grandly toward the foyer.

 

Landon and London squealed with excitement as they jumped up from the floor and raced into the foyer.  Both twins squealing grew louder when they realized what their last birthday presents were “We gotta bikes!” Landon and London screamed as they raced to the new tricycles and seated themselves on the two white seats and began pedaling the bikes around the large foyer.

 

Tony smiled as he moved over to Kate and wrapped his arms around her pregnant stomach, burying his nose in her soft brown hair “You think they like the bikes?” Tony asked rhetorically as he started rubbing soothing circles on Kate’s stomach.

 

Kate nodded as she leaned most of her weight back against her husband’s strong body “Yeah, they seem rather happy to have them.” Kate whispered as she interlaced her fingers with Tony’s and brought his arms up to wrap around her chest, snuggling deeper into the warmth of her husband’s body “Although I don’t think the hardwood floors are very appreciative of the plastic wheels scraping down on them.” Kate said, pointing their combined hands toward the scratch marks there were coming to life on the hardwood floors of the foyer.

 

Tony sighed as he untangled himself from Kate’s octopus hold on him and headed over to his two toddlers “Alright kiddo’s, its time to put the bikes away and return to your party guests.” Tony said as he caught both toddlers by their shirts, halting their movements instantly.

 

Landon sighed but got off of his bike and ran back into the living room, rejoining the fray of children aged three to ten.  London, however, remained stubbornly seated on her bike, trying to pedal the bike forward despite Tony holding the back of her shirt to keep her in place “London Grace, I said that it is time to put the bikes away.” Tony said firmly as he stared down at his daughter, his green eyes glinting with a hint of anger – London, being her normal self, was being one-hundred percent stubborn to the bone, just like her mother.

 

London sniffled and shook her head, brown hair fanning out and cascading down her back and over her shoulders “I don’t wanna, daddy!  I wanna keep riding!” London said, pouting her bottom lip out and trying with every ounce of strength her little toddler body possessed to surge forward, she barely moved an inch and gave an indignant huff of breath “Fine, but I’m not happy about this!” London declared as she got off of her bike and scuffed her way back into the living room.

 

Tony turned angry eyes up at his wife when he heard the small giggle escape her “You think this is funny?” Tony questioned, splaying his hands wide to encompass the two toddler tricycles next to him.

 

Kate shook her head but couldn’t prevent the burst of giggles that escaped her.  Tony growled as he stood up and charged Kate, lightly pushing her against the wall – being mindful of her state of pregnancy “You.” Tony growled as he nipped at Kate’s jaw “Are.” Another nip to her earlobe “Incorrigible.” Tony finished as he kissed Kate square on the lips and smiled at her.

 

Kate shrugged as she slid her hands up and behind Tony’s neck “So is your daughter, but you love us both anyway – Don’cha?” Kate asked chipperly as she pulled Tony closer and smacked her lips against his noisily before smiling and pulling away to rejoin the laughing children in the living room.

 

Tony sighed and shook his head as he pushed away from the wall and collected the two tricycles from the foyer, he then carried them back into the four-car garage and hung the two trikes up on the bike rack on the wall next to his own bike and then smiled as he headed back into the house to join his wife on the couch, watching as the party guests of Landon and London’s played, laughed, and just caused a general ruckus in the house.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony grunted as a pair of bony elbows and knobby knees cruised across his stomach, then the weight of one of his children settled against his chest and stomach.  Opening tired eyes he looked down the length of his body to see London curled up against his chest, sniffling and rubbing at her face “London… What’s wrong?” Tony asked as he wrapped one arm around his daughter and slowly sat up on the bed and turned on the bedside table.

 

Kate jerked away, snuffling slightly and looking over at their daughter who was silently crying in Tony’s arms “She’s flushed…” Kate muttered as she slipped out of bed, pulled on her robe and headed to the attached bathroom.

 

Tony sighed as he pulled his daughter's hair off of her forehead and carefully pulled it back into a loose ponytail.  Tony placed his lips against London’s sweaty forehead and rubbed her back lightly, watching as Kate came back into the room and put a temple thermometer to London’s forehead; the readout soon beeped and Kate shook her head “She’s got a high fever – 102.3.” Kate said quietly as she sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her daughter’s leg softly.

 

Tony shook his head “She didn’t have a fever when I put her to bed an hour ago…” Tony said as he carefully shifted out of bed and laid London down where he had just vacated before moving over to the closet and pulling out a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt.

 

Kate frowned as she watched Tony walk around the room, collecting his boots and socks “And where are you going?” Kate asked as she turned back to London when the toddler whimpered and held her arms out from someone to hold her – Kate quickly obliged the toddler and lifted her up into her arms.

 

Tony sighed as he slipped into his boots and then carefully scooped London from his wife's arms “I’m taking her to the hospital… Stay here with Landon.” Tony said as he leaned forward and kissed Kate softly on the lips; he grabbed a heavy blanket off the bed and wrapped London up securely before heading for the door with his daughter wrapped up and snuggled against his chest.

 

Tony cursed the snow as it fell heavily and blanketed Spokane “I preferred the South… After this rebuild here in Washington is complete… we’re going back to Beaufort… I am going back to my base, and I am staying there until retirement in forty some odd years.” Tony grumbled as he kept most of his attention on the white-covered ground before him, and the rest of his attention on the little bundle curled up in his backseat.

 

Tony glanced in the rearview for a brief moment and sighed as he thought over the birthday party – None of the kids that had shown up were even remotely sick, and now his daughter was running a high-grade fever and shivering – sure, it was ten below outside, but he had the heat all the way up and the house was warm too; there was no reason for London to be as sick as she was, especially so quickly.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony breathed a small sigh of relief when he finally parked his SUV in the Fairchild Airforce Base emergency department parking lot; there weren’t a whole lot of cars in the parking lot which made sense, it was a military hospital – The only time Civilians were permitted on the military grounds was in case of dire emergencies, or they were military dependents.

 

Tony quickly shut the SUV down and collected London – he could feel, even through the thick layer of the comforter, that her fever was getting worse; her entire body was trembling and rigid and he knew, from years experience as a cop, volunteer firefighter when he was in college, and four years in the military that this was not normal – his daughter was having a seizure.

 

Tony rushed across the heavy snow, almost slipping in a path of black ice, before skidding to a halt on the slippery tile floor of the emergency waiting area “Please!  Someone… Help!” Tony shouted, slightly out of breath as he held his shaking daughter close to his body.

 

Several nurses and a doctor ran over, carrying a gurney and medical equipment galore “What’s the problem?” the doctor asked as he and a nurse helped Tony lay London down on the stretcher and began unraveling the comforter from the toddler’s body.

 

Tony exhaled heavily “My daughter… She was running a fever… High fever and then… As I was bringing her in… She just… she started having a seizure!” Tony explained, running a hand over his mouth as he watched several nurses carefully coax London onto her side, by the time they did that the seizure had stopped and London lay slack on her side, eyes closed and barely breathing “Is… Is she going to be okay?” Tony whispered, a horrified expression in his eyes as he stared at the doctor and his sick little girl.

 

The doctor laid a gentle hand on Tony’s shoulder “We’re going to do everything that we can – It’s not uncommon for children with a high fever to experience seizures; we’ll figure out what’s wrong with your daughter… We’ll get her in right away.” The doctor said confidently as he turned to his team of nurses and they began wheeling London further into the emergency department.

 

Tony stuck close by, keeping a hand on his daughter’s barefoot as she was wheeled from the waiting room into one of the glass-enclosed ER rooms.  Once London was transferred from the stretcher to the hospital bed, Tony laid down beside his daughter and gently ran his fingers through his hair, watching as the nurse began drawing blood and hooking London up to a heart rate monitor and what seemed like every other monitoring device in the small ER cubicle.

 

London barely even whimpered as her blood was drawn – Something Tony would have protested, shouted about, and probably even tried hitting someone at least once – His three-year-old was certainly stronger than he was “That’s a good girl, London… Daddy’s brave girl.” Tony whispered against his daughter’s temple, pressing several kisses against the sweaty patch of skin.

 

Another nurse came in after that, smiling sympathetically at father and daughter “Hello.  My name is Nurse Platt, I’ll be your attending nurse for the night while you’re here – It seems you haven’t filled out any paperwork yet… I know that this is a trying time for you, but do you think you could manage?” Nurse Platt asked as she held out the sturdy blue clipboard in Tony’s direction, several sheets of paper stacked underneath the clip.

 

Tony nodded as he carefully sat up on the bed, adjusting London so she was lying next to his leg, he then took the clipboard from Nurse Platt and stared blankly at all of the required information – He knew his own personal information, sure, that stuff was easy; but as he got to the portion where he needed to know London’s height, and weight, and what drugs the toddler might be allergic too – What her _blood type_ was?  How the hell was he supposed to know these things?

 

Tony sighed as he dug his cell phone out of his pants pocket, he idly noted that his skin was clammy and covered in a red rash but shrugged it off as he pressed Kate’s speed-dial number and settled the phone against his ear, tapping the pen against the paperwork as he waited for his wife to answer.  “Kate…” Tony sighed into the phone, quickly covering his mouth as a wretching cough wracked his body suddenly “Sorry… Yeah, at the hospital – London was an immediate admit… Uh, listen…” Tony coughed into his fist again, feeling his vision swimming before his eyes “Mhm, I don’t… Her height?  Weight?  Blood type?  There are _so many_ things I don’t know about…” Tony rubbed his eyes, trying to clear the spots that were starting to form on the outer edges of his vision “Thanks, baby…” Tony murmured, letting the phone slip from his ear and his eyes to drift close as sudden exhaustion overcame him.

 

Nurse Platt returned by then, shaking her head as she looked at the young father “You’ve obviously got whatever your daughter has… Lay down, young man.” She said as she helped Tony lay back down on the hospital bed next to his daughter, she carefully undid his combat boots and set them aside and then laid several blankets over the shivering frame of the younger man and his daughter “I’ll make sure your wife knows where you are when she arrives – You two just sleep.” Nurse Platt said as she headed out of the cubicle, turning off the harsh overhead lights on her way out.

 

* * *

 

 

Kate sighed as she entered the hospital room that Nurse Platt had shown her – she hated having to wake Jethro up so that Landon wouldn’t be alone if the newly turned three-year-old woke up during the night, but her husband and daughter needed her more and by the looks of things, she was certain that it was going to be a very long and restless night.

 

Tony and London were both now hooked up to monitoring equipment, their skin flush and sweaty “Has the doctor determined _what_ they have?  He wasn’t sick when he left the house with London…” Kate asked the nurse as she took the two clipboards from her so she could fill out her daughter and her husband’s information.

 

Nurse Platt shook her head as she helped Kate settle into the chair beside the hospital bed “Not yet – The doctor drew blood on your daughter first, and when your husband started showing signs of illness, they drew his blood as well… Test results should be back soon.” She said as she handed Kate a blanket and a pen “I’ll be back to check on them in about twenty minutes.” The nurse added before she turned and headed out of the hospital room.

 

Ten minutes had barely gone by and Kate was already finished with the necessary paperwork for both London and Tony.  Kate shook her head as she looked over at her sleeping husband and daughter “When you’re feeling better… We’re going to have to start quizzing you on our children’s medical history.  How you don’t know half this stuff is beyond me.” Kate groused as she carefully stood up and walked over to her husband, setting her palm against his sweaty cheek.

 

A man in a dark blue scrubs and white overcoat came into the room, smiling sympathetically at the young mother “Mrs. Thomas, Hi.  I’m Doctor Nathan Randall, I’m the doctor who admitted your daughter and then your husband when he started showing signs of illness as well.” Nathan said as he stepped forward and shook Kate’s hand.

 

Kate nodded as she and the doctor took a seat “Can you tell me what my husband and daughter have?  Because five hours ago, neither of them were sick, and now…” Kate waved her hand in the direction of the two barely conscious lumps on the small hospital bed, tightly bound with blankets galore.

 

Nathan nodded in understanding “Your daughter and your husband both have a fairly common illness called Roseola – It’s more common in children between the ages of two and five, but with immediate exposure, your husband also contracted it.  It’s similar to chicken pox in the sense that it comes on quickly and the first symptom is a high-grade fever, but unlike the chicken pox, it’s not anywhere near as deadly for an adult to contract it.  Your husband already has signs of the rash that accompanies the illness, and your daughter started growing splotchy with the rash about an hour after her admission.” The doctor explained, using words that the young mother would understand.

 

Kate sighed, running a tired hand through her hair “Is this… Roseola… very contagious?  I have her twin brother at home and two other kids – Older, they’re Nine and Eight…” Kate questioned curiously, already thinking of how much disinfecting and cleaning the house would need.

 

Nathan nodded “It is highly contagious, hence why your husband contracted it so quickly but since we’ve already got them on antibiotics it shouldn’t affect anyone else; but we’d better be safe than sorry – The virus will be out of their system within three days, I think that we should admit them and have them stay here… to prevent further infection in your household.” Nathan said, keeping his tone professional but sympathetic at the same time.

 

Kate frowned as she carefully hoisted herself up from the chair again and walked over to her husband, gently running her hand over his sweaty head “Alright well… It’s better than the rest of the house coming down with this…” Kate said as she bent forward and kissed her husband on the back of his head “I have to go home and tell Jethro and Ziva about what’s going on – I’ll be back though, probably by the time you’ve been admitted and are in a hospital room…” Kate whispered as she kissed her husband once more, then squeezed her daughter’s tiny hand before standing up and heading out of the ER cubicle.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony woke with a start, his eyes still tightly clamped shut, that was until he heard the hiss of a ventilator, his eyes popped open at the same time that he slapped a hand over his face, panic rising as he searched his face for the damn mask, only to find that it wasn’t there – the lights weren’t blue – he wasn’t in isolation “Tony…” Jethro’s calm voice brought him further out of that panicked state and he locked eyes with his older brother’s blue eyes “It’s okay – You’re safe…” Jethro said as he rubbed his brother’s shoulder lightly.

 

Tony nodded as he laid back on the bed again, then the reason why he was in the hospital in the first place shot back into his memory, clearing the fog of exhaustion completely “London?” Tony rasped out, grasping at his brother’s hand and searching the clear blue orbs for answers.

 

Jethro glanced over his shoulder and smiled at the two-year-old who was sitting up in her bed, preoccupied with a _Dora The Explorer_ coloring book “She’s perfectly fine.  Coloring right now.” Jethro said as he carefully adjusted his brother’s hospital bed so that the head was raised and Tony could see his daughter.

 

Tony nodded as he smiled a little hazily in his daughters direction before his eyes traversed the rest of the hospital room and then over to the glass wall that divided his and London’s room from the hospital hallway, on the other side of the glass stood the rest of his family – Kate, Ziva, Landon, Abby, and Tim all waved at Tony and Tony waved back slightly “Why…” Tony coughed into his shoulder “Why are they out there, and you in here?” Tony asked tiredly, laying his head back against the pillows and closing his eyes.

 

Jethro chuckled, then coughed into his own shoulder before walking over to the third bed in the hospital room “Apparently you’re the cause of all this – I caught it because we work closely together on a daily basis, and London caught it because she’s a daddy’s girl… Roseola… I think the doctor said – Should be gone in three days and we’ll all be good as new.” Jethro said with a shrug and then looked at his family “No one else caught it but us three… That’s why they’re out there, and we’re in here… In isolation.” Jethro said glumly, looking around the large room, at least in the isolation unit he had people he could talk to if he felt like talking.

 

Tony snorted and then groaned as the action caused his already throbbing head to throb even more “Sounds like something we three would do… Get stuck with a contagious illness that separates us from everyone else…” Tony groused as he slowly peeled the blankets off of his body and sat up on the bed – he was thankful that someone had the foresight to put at least a pair of shorts on his body so he wouldn’t be walking around with his ass hanging out of his hospital gown.

 

Tony made his way over to London’s bed and gently ran his fingers through her bed-tousled hair “Hey princess, you feeling okay?” Tony asked quietly, looking down at the oddly colored _Dora The Explorer_.

 

London sniffled and nodded, wiping her sleeve over her nose as she dropped her coloring book and climbed into her daddy’s lap “Go home now?” London asked sadly, looking up at her daddy, her bottom lip pouted out.

 

Tony sighed as he rubbed London’s back and kissed the top of her head lightly “Soon baby.  The doctor has to make us feel better before we can go home.  We wouldn’t want to get mommy, Landon, Abby, Tim or Auntie Z sick… Now would we?” Tony asked softly as he looked up at his family that was still sitting on the other side of the observation wall.

 

London shook her head and frowned as she clung to Tony’s hospital gown, sniffling loudly.  Tony frowned as he stood up and slowly shuffled over to the glass wall that was dividing him and London from the rest of their family; London set her hand on the glass wall and Kate lifted Landon up, he immediately set his hand on the glass as well, the twins small hands coming together, only being separated by the glass wall “I miss.” London said quietly.

 

Landon nodded and frowned “Miss too.” He whispered and sniffled as tears crowded his green eyes and started spilling down his cheeks.

 

Kate and Tony both sighed as they lifted the toddler they were holding up and rubbed their backs soothingly “You guys should be released by tomorrow or the day after – Just keep her entertained… You should be able to get through the remaining hours.” Kate said confidently as she placed her hand on the glass divider as well and smiled.

 

Tony nodded as he set his hand on the glass wall “We have coloring books, reading books, and plenty of DVDs that I’ve seen – We’ll get through this.” Tony said as he kissed the top of London’s head lightly and shifted her on his hip “Go home, Kate.  You look beyond exhausted, and Landon isn’t too far behind you in falling asleep himself…” Tony said, nodding at his three-year-old son who was falling asleep on Kate’s shoulder.

 

Kate nodded as she rubbed Landon’s back lightly “Alright sweetheart.  I love you, all three of you.” Kate said as she looked from her daughter to her husband, and then her brother-in-law who was now standing right beside Tony, who had been having a mostly silent conversation with his own wife.

 

Tony, London, and Jethro all nodded their heads as they said their goodbyes to their family, watching as they headed to the elevators, and constantly looking back – they waved to each other until Kate, Ziva, Tim, Abby, and Landon disappeared behind the steel doors of the elevator; Jethro returned to his ‘assigned’ hospital bed and Tony returned to where London had been, he plopped her onto the bed and then put in one of the DVDs that he knew Jethro would be okay with watching – Beauty and The Beast.


	17. Chapter 17

Tony pulled into the _Firehouse Subs_ parking lot and shut off the engine to his Humvee – It was his and Jethro’s lunch break and they had decided that this would be their meeting place for their lunch.  Tony ordered the _Italian_ for himself and the _Steak & Cheese _for Jethro and then sat down at a table, waiting for their food and for his brother to show up.

 

As per his usual, Jethro showed up just as the subs were being delivered to the table had picked out.  Tony and Jethro tucked into their subs, eating in companionable silence for a few minutes “So, are you nervous?” Tony asked curiously – Kate and Ziva’s due dates were rapidly approaching and Tony was more excited than he was nervous, but he was still nervous all the same.

 

Jethro sighed, wiped his hands on the copious amounts of napkins on the table and then took a sip of his soda “Honestly?  Yeah – I’m nervous as hell… It’s… been a while since I’ve done this.” Jethro said quietly, twisting the straw to his drink around and making it squeak in protest.

 

Tony laughed softly and shook his head “You’ve been a dad for a few years now, Jethro… and you did just fine when London and Landon were born.” Tony said quietly, a slightly confused expression on his face as he looked at his older brother and continued munching on his sandwich.

 

Jethro shook his head as he slurped more of his soda and then began twisting a napkin around in his fingers “It’s not exactly the same.  Tim and Abby were already their own little persons when I got them – They didn’t need much help in that sense… and the twins, _your_ twins, are exactly that – They’re yours.  Yeah, I helped out when you guys needed some guidance but… It’s different when they’re your own kids; I haven’t physically raised an infant in…” Jethro shook his head again and sighed loudly before lowering his voice “in close to twenty-five years… What if I screw this up?  Screw the girls up?” Jethro whispered every fear and concern he felt weighing heavily in his words.

 

Tony shook his head and reached over to squeeze his brother’s hand lightly “You won’t screw this up, or your girls.  Those two little girls will be the most loved, most spoiled, and most protected in this entire world.  You’re not going to screw up.” Tony said quietly and confidently, smiling brightly at his brother.

 

Jethro nodded as he finished off his sandwich and balled the wrapper up, placing it on the plastic tray, he then grabbed his drink and spun it around, watching as the condensation slid down the plastic siding “So, have you and Kate finally settled on names for the boys?” Jethro asked, wanting to change the subject to really think about what Tony had said, and needing time to settle his own nerves.

 

Tony groaned and nodded at the same time “Only took six months to finally agree, but yeah, we know what the twins names will be.” Tony said with a smile as he finished off his sandwich and began nitpicking at the potato chips on the tray.

 

Jethro looked at Tony curiously “Well…?  What are they?” Jethro prompted, grabbing a few chips from the tray and munching on them thoughtfully.

 

Tony sighed and wiped his hands on his napkin before running his fingers through his hair “Tristan and Rylan.  And before you ask, yes, they will also be carrying the middle name, Jethro.” Tony said as he stood up and grabbed the empty tray from their lunch, heading to the trash cans to empty it – As he walked away he heard Jethro’s cell phone ringing and answer it with his typical ‘ _Yeah, Thomas_.’ It was strange hearing that, even after two years.

 

Tony’s cell phone rang as he placed the empty tray in the holder and he sighed as he pulled it out “Staff Sergeant Thomas.” Tony said into the phone, standing at the door and waiting for his brother to finish his call and follow him out into the parking lot.

 

Kate breathed out shakily “Tony… It’s time – Ziva and I went into labor at the same time…” Kate continued talking but Tony was more focused on staring blankly at his brother who was about as pale and shaky as Tony felt – All that excitement he felt earlier completely vanished when his wife called to say she was in labor; now all he felt was nervousness, a nervousness he hardly felt when Landon and London came into the world – he didn’t have enough time then to be nervous, and now; well, now he had a lot of time to be nervous.

 

Jethro seemed to break out of his stupified status first and rushed over to Tony, taking the cell phone from his numb hand “We’re on our way now, Kate – There’s no need to panic.” Jethro said, even as he pushed his younger brother out of the eating establishment and toward the Humvee he had driven to the restaurant.  “Yes, Kate.  Yes… I’m driving because he kind of went into a bit of a shocked state…” Jethro was saying, pushing his brother into the passenger seat of his personal Humvee – he glanced toward Tony’s Humvee briefly but since they were on base he knew that nothing bad would happen to it overnight.

 

Tony sat listlessly in the passenger seat, twisting his hands together as he stared blindly at the road as Jethro drove toward the TRICARE base hospital.  Jethro, for his part, was rambling aimlessly and nervously – they were both uncharacteristic in their nervousness; Tony being as silent as he was, and Jethro talking about anything and everything he could honestly think of “Enough!” Tony barked harshly “Can we just… Five minutes of silence?” Tony asked in exasperation, needing some sort of silence to organize the swirling thoughts in his mind; Jethro nodded wordlessly and kept his words to himself, tapping out an almost silent rhythm against the steering wheel as he continued driving to the hospital.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony inhaled deeply and looked into Kate’s eyes as he held one of her legs and the back of her neck – in the background they could hear the nurse and doctor counting, but neither of them really paid much attention as Kate pushed and Tony encouraged “You can do this baby, should be a walk in the park!” Tony exclaimed with a grin on his face.

 

Kate laughed breathlessly as she tried swatting at Tony’s shoulder “Shut up.” Kate said through gritted teeth, groaning as a strong contraction and an equally stronger push halted their conversation; Kate screamed as the first of their two sons started his descent and was then born into the air, screaming his little lungs out.

 

“Alright!  We have one boy out!” the doctor announced as he snipped the umbilical cord and handed the screaming infant off to the nearest nurse so she could do the initial clean-up of the crying newborn boy.

 

Kate and Tony both gasped in relief at the sound of their first son being born and barring any complications, their second son would soon be joining them and his identical twin; they waited, almost impatiently, for the doctor to check the second child’s positioning now that his brother was out of the way “Looks good – Baby B is already making his way down, we’ll get a bit rest for now and when he’s ready… We’ll let him enter the world.” The doctor said from his position at the foot of the bed, lowering the thin sheet over Kate’s legs and smiling reassuringly up at the young couple.

 

A nurse came into the birthing room “Doctor, your other patient is ready again…” The nurse announced, keeping the doorway open for the doctor as he stood up.

 

The doctor grinned as he glanced at Tony and Kate “I’ll be back momentarily, looks as if your second niece is ready to join this crazy world of ours – I’ll hopefully be back to deliver your son, if not, well Doctor Hammond is also on the floor and he will definitely take care of you!” The doctor said, patting Kate’s bent knee before heading out of the room.

 

Tony looked at the nurse expectantly and she smiled indulgently as she came further into the room “Your brother, sister-in-law, and niece is doing splendidly.  The little one was eighteen inches and six pounds even, but neither parent wants to announce the names – Not until all four children have been brought into the world and you announce your names as well.” The nurse relayed the information from Jethro and Ziva, smiling almost apologetically since she knew the information that the young couple desperately wanted.

 

Tony groaned in frustration, resting his head on Kate’s shoulder; it was only a momentary disappointment until the nurse that had been attending to his newborn son came over and laid the now calm infant down against Kate’s chest, wrapped in a blue blanket and a blue knit cap on his tiny head.  Kate smiled as she gently brushed her hand over the newborn’s cheek “He’s so beautiful.” Kate whispered hoarsely, tears and the strain of screaming making her voice rougher than normal.

 

Tony smiled as he set his hand on the back of his newborn son’s head “Yeah, he certainly is a beautiful little one.” Tony said as he bent forward, kissing his son’s smooth head and then kissed his wife tenderly; he then saw Kate’s twisting in pain and quickly scooped his son out of Kate’s hands “Having another contraction?” Tony asked as he squeezed Kate’s shoulder with one hand while holding his son close to his chest with his other arm.

 

Kate nodded and gasped out a sharp breath, slamming her foot against the hospital bed and crying out as the contraction only grew stronger “The… It’s… He’s coming… Holy shit!” Kate gasped out, her fingers twisting and tightening in the sheet on the mattress; tears streaming down her cheeks in rapid waves.

 

Tony panicked only for a moment before he scrabbled over to the little crib and laid his son down in the basket before returning to his wife’s side – The nurse was already paging Doctor Hammond to their room and Tony was grateful, although would have been happier with their own doctor. “It’s gonna be alright, Kate… Just… Don’t push, not yet – Let the doctor get here!” Tony urged as he held Kate in his arms, trying everything to soothe his wife and keep her calm.

 

Kate nodded against Tony’s shoulder, breathing heavily through her mouth, clutching and releasing the mattress “Doctor… Needs to hurry his ass… up then!” Kate ground out through clenched teeth, turning her head up to glare at her husband.

 

The doctor came into the room only a few seconds after Kate’s declaration and Tony breathed a sigh of relief “Doctor is here, honey… We’ll see our little boy soon enough!” Tony enthused as he squeezed Kate’s shoulder and kissed the top of her sweaty head.

 

Kate nodded but couldn’t get another word out as another contraction had her crying out and arching sideways toward Tony’s body.  The doctor got suited up quickly and then positioned himself between Kate’s bent legs “The baby has already crowned, so we are already halfway there… I need one good big push from you Mrs. Thomas and you will have your second son!” Doctor Hammond announced cheerfully – much too cheerful for Tony and Kate’s already frayed nerves.

 

* * *

 

 

Tony and Jethro smiled at each other as they stood next to one another outside of the hospital nursery, Jethro pointed to one of the two little pink bundles “Kailah Eliana.” And then pointed to her twin sister that was in the crib beside here “Kaya Talia.” Jethro said, beaming proudly as he watched his two newborn daughters scream and squirm in their little bassinets.

 

Tony chuckled as he pointed to the little boy closest to Kaya “Rylan Jethro – RJ.” He then pointed to the next infant beside Rylan and smiled “Tristan Jethro – TJ.” Tony said proudly and leaned closer to the glass that separated him from his two newborn sons and two newborn nieces “The girls are absolutely beautiful, Jay… Gonna be a handful when they get older.” Tony said with a knowing smirk on his face as he looked over at his older brother.

 

Jethro snorted and shook his head “And you won’t?  Have you seen the way London has been growing up?  And now you have _three_ boys!  They are going to be a handful and then some.” Jethro said with a grin, and then burst out laughing when his and Tony’s names were shouted; they barely had time to turn around before they were rushed by four small children – Tim, Abby, Landon, and London, all launched themselves at the two new fathers.

 

Tony held his oldest twins and smiled as he hoisted them up onto either of his hips and pointed at the two squirming little newborns “Those are your new brothers Rylan and Tristan – What do you think?” Tony asked softly, looking at Landon and London – London, after having _several_ conversations, had finally gotten used to the idea of being a big sister, and it showed on her face right now as she leaned into the glass, a look of awe on her face.

 

“I wanna hold da babies daddy… Can we?” London asked, turning her head and looking up at her daddy with wide brown eyes.

 

Tony chuckled as he kissed London on the head softly “Yeah baby… Let’s go see if mommy and Auntie Zee are in their rooms and ready for visitors and then we’ll bring the babies in.” Tony said as he jostled his three-year-old daughter and then looked over at Landon “What about you bud?  You ready to hold your baby brother’s?” Tony asked as he and Jethro started walking toward the room where Ziva and Kate were located.

 

Landon shrugged “I guess so.” He said quietly and laid his head on Tony’s shoulder, closing his eyes and slotting his thumb into his mouth – Landon was just coming off of a cold, he was already past the infectious stage but was still pretty wiped out.

 

Tony smiled and kissed the top of Landon’s head “You don’t have to if you’re not ready, champ.  I know you’re sleepy.” Tony whispered as he and Jethro walked into Kate and Ziva’s shared hospital room; both women were wide awake and smiled when their family came into the room “Hey honey, look who we found just wandering around in the hallways!” Tony announced as he headed over to Kate’s bed and settled Landon and London down on the bed.

 

Kate smiled as her two oldest twins crawled up the bed and snuggled next to her “How are my sweet babies?” Kate whispered as she kissed the duo on the tops of their heads, nuzzling her nose in their soft brown curls.

 

Before the twins could respond, two nurses came in, pushing one bassinet and pulling the other behind them – the four newborns that had only been born a few hours ago were brought into the hospital room and lined up along the wall, two pink bundles and two blue bundles containing squirmy and fussy newborns.  Tony moved over to the two blue bundles while Jethro settled Tim and Abby on the small sofa in the room and then moved over to his two pink bundles – Jethro carried his two newborn daughters over to Tim and Abby while Tony carried his two newborn sons over to where London and Landon were perched on the bed next to their mother.

 

Tony smiled proudly as his newborn twins were officially held for the first time by his three-year-old twins; he got out his phone and started snapping pictures of first his four children and then turned to start snapping pictures of Tim and Abby holding Kailah and Kaya for the very first time; for the next several minutes, Tony continued snapping pictures and grinning – it was absolutely beautiful to see his daughter and son interacting so well with their new little brothers; Tim and Abby were already ‘old pros’ at adding new infants to the family and were expertly handling their two new sisters.

 

Soon enough though, it was time for all visitors to leave – which meant the kids would have to leave now; Ducky had come in, spending a few moments with the family and of course commenting on how beautiful the new additions to the growing family were and then guided the four older children out of the hospital room and took them back to their home where they would be spending the night with Uncle Ben and Uncle Ducky.

 

Now Tony, Kate, Jethro, and Ziva were all left alone in the hospital; Kate, Ziva, and even Jethro had fallen asleep and Tony was left wide-awake and able to spend quality alone-time with not only his newborn sons but his newborn nieces as well; he stood over their bassinets and watched as their sleeping faces contorted with whatever they were dreaming about.  Tony stood over Kaya and Kailah’s cribs and gently rubbed their pudgy little cheeks “I know I’m not your daddy, but I am your uncle and… As your uncle, I promise I will always be there for you and I will protect you just as your daddy would.  I love you both.” Tony whispered before he bent over and kissed the two newborn girls on the top of their cap-covered heads.

 

Tony then moved over to his two boys and smiled proudly “And, I am your daddy; and just like your two little cousins over there – I will _always_ be there for you, always protect you from the dangers of the world.  I love you, all four of you, so much and I will never let anything happen.  Your uncle, the guy over there snoring?” Tony questioned, pointing to Jethro who was fast asleep on the small hospital bed with his wife “He’s a guy who will do just about anything to make sure none of his family are hurting – He has skills that even I can’t comprehend sometimes, and I’ve seen him in action… Your aunt?  She has a dangerous streak in herself as well, so does your mommy for that matter – We are all really good at protecting those we love and we will never let anyone hurt you.” Tony whispered and leaned down, pressing gentle kisses against his twin’s heads.

 

Tony then turned to the bed his wife was sleeping in and smiled as he walked over and crawled into the small space that had been left for him, he wrapped his arm around Kate’s stomach and kissed the side of her head “Thank you, so much for the beautiful children you have given me…” Tony whispered and laid his head down against the large pillow provided, finally letting the exhaustion of the day claim him and pull him under completely.


End file.
